Domitilla Mukantaganzwa, Supreme Court President and Chairperson of the Supreme Council of the Judiciary, today during the event
KIGALI — Rwanda’s Judiciary has reduced the average time it takes to resolve a court case from six months to four months, meeting a target it set for the 2025/2026 judicial year.
The announcement was made on Friday, September 4, 2026, by Supreme Court President and Chairperson of the Supreme Council of the Judiciary, Domitilla Mukantaganzwa, during the opening of the 2026/2027 judicial year.
During the 2025/2026 judicial year, courts across Rwanda resolved 123,027 cases out of 163,695 cases that were before them.
Of the total caseload, 54,278 cases had been carried over from the previous judicial year, while 109,417 cases were filed during the year.
According to the Judiciary’s report, 103,139 cases, or 84 percent, were resolved through the regular court process. Another 19,888 cases, or 16 percent, were settled through mediation and other alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, allowing parties to agree on solutions to their disputes without going through the full trial process.
Mukantaganzwa said the Judiciary had deliberately encouraged litigants to use these mechanisms where possible as part of efforts to deliver faster justice.
“As the Judiciary set this as a priority at the beginning of the 2025/2026 judicial year, efforts were made to encourage litigants to use alternative dispute resolution mechanisms to resolve their disputes wherever possible,” she said.
The number of cases resolved through these mechanisms increased from 15,012 in the previous judicial year to 19,888, an increase of 4,876 cases, or 32.4 percent.
Mukantaganzwa said the increase contributed to efforts to reduce delays in the courts.
“The Judiciary wishes to inform Rwandans that the average time a case takes to be heard and resolved has been reduced to four months, from six months in the previous year,” she said.
Primary courts handled most cases
A cross-section from the Judiciary during the event today
The Judiciary’s report shows that Primary Courts handled the largest share of cases during the year, resolving 74,348 cases.
They were followed by Intermediate Courts, which resolved 33,144 cases. The High Court, Commercial High Court and other courts handled the remaining cases.
Despite the progress, the Judiciary continues to face pressure from a growing caseload.
The number of cases coming before the courts continues to increase, while the number of judicial staff has not grown at the same pace. The Judiciary said this remains a challenge that can affect the quality and efficiency of services provided to people seeking justice.
At the end of the 2025/2026 judicial year, 41,831 cases remained unresolved.
That was a significant reduction from the 54,278 cases that courts had carried over at the beginning of the year.
The figures suggest that while Rwanda’s courts continue to face a heavy workload, efforts to reduce delays — particularly through mediation and other alternative dispute resolution mechanisms — are beginning to ease the backlog.
