HARRISON MUTABAZI

Senior Fellow – Rwanda

Harrison Mutabazi is a High Court Judge, who currently serves as an inspectorate of the Rwandan Supreme Court and as a judicial spokesperson for the Courts.

About Harrison Mutabazi

Harrison Mutabazi is a High Court Judge, who currently serves as an inspectorate of the Rwandan Supreme Court and as a judicial spokesperson for the Courts. He is a member of the steering committee that oversees the implementation of mediation in the Rwandan Courts and has served in his capacity as advisor to the Hon. Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Rwanda.

Judicial Experience

Justice Mutabazi has served on the bench from 2003 to 2018, when he was appointed to join the inspectorate department. He has served in various judicial capacities, including:

Trainer and Mentor of the Gacaca Courts based in Western Rwanda (2001-2002)
Appointed to the bench of the Intermediator Court of Nyamata (2003-2004)
Appointed as Vice-president of the Musanze Intermediate Court (2004-2008)
Appointed President of the Intermediate Court of Nyarugenge (2009-2010)
Appointed President of the Intermediate Court of Ngoma (2010-2012)
Appointed President of the Intermediate Court of Gicumbi (2012-2017)
Elevated to Justice of the High Court (2017)
Appointed to be an inspectorate of the courts and a Judicial Spokesperson. (2018)

ADR Achievements and Training

Appointed by the Hon. Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to the Steering Committee that is overseeing the implementation of mediation in Rwanda
Awarded a Weinstein JAMS International Fellowship (2015)
Attended Mediating the Litigated Case, Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine University School of Law (2015)
Attended Envisioning, Designing & Implementing Court ADR: A Practical & Theoretical Program, International Court ADR Institute, Center for Negotiation and Dispute Resolution, University of California Hastings College of Law (2015)
Trained in mediation at the Institute of Legal Practice and Development, Nyanza (2013)
Certificate on the Introduction to arbitration by KIAC, an accredited certification as a trainer of trainers in stolen asset recovery STAR

ADR Teaching and Mentoring

Justice Mutabazi has taught and mentored Judges and Registrars of the intermediate Court of Gicumbi and the High Court of Musanze on basic mediation skills.

Publications and Education

Publications

Justice Mutabazi authored a comparative study on The Application of ADR Mechanisms in the Judicial Systems: The Case of Rwanda and Ghana, thesis paper submitted and presented for the award of post-graduate Diploma in Legal Practice, Institute of Legal Practice and Development, Nyanza, 2012.

Educational Qualifications

LL.M in International Criminal Law (Cand. UNILAK)
Post-Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the Institute of Legal Practice (Nyanza) (2012)
LL.B from the National University of Rwanda (2000)