Justice in Rwanda

The gacaca courts were created because the existing legal justice system in Rwanda could not handle the amount of people convicted of mass murder during the genocide. The jails were overcrowded and every person that was in jail could not await a trial. The gacaca courts were created to relieve the overcrowded jails and to help the government of Rwanda to save money. Many human rights activists believe that these courts, however, were not fair because all of the people who were convicted did not receive the normal legal procedures. There were not qualified lawyers and judges in the courts; however, the punishments were often lenient and only consisted of community service. The courts allowed the community come together as a whole and embraced a much needed sense of solidarity among the people of various communities. The emotional gacaca courts allowed both the survivors of the genocide and those who killed others during the genocide to connect. The courts also embraced the idea of a call to community, family and participation. The punishments given in the courts to those that were found guilty was often community serivce. The fact that community service was given as a punishment allowed the those who were guilty of such a vicious crime to reintegrate into the community. The life and dignity of every human person was completely destroyed during the genocide. The Hutus killed the Tutsis for no reason other than the fact that they were a Tutsi. The gacaca courts, although not necessarily the most legally valid, attempted to value every human as a person and give them a lenient punishment for their grave offenses. All the people in the Rwandan community now must embrace their rights and responsibilities that they have as citizens and as humans. Although the gacaca courts were often very lenient and lead to a reintegration of many into the community, some people are concerned that the punishments given were not tough enough. Many believe that killers of 10 people do not simply deserve a few hours of community service. The gacaca courts may not be perfect, but they are a step to reintegrate a sense of community into Rwanda.