Starting from Monday, April 22nd, 2024, 30 MAJ officials were the first within the Justice Sector to start the training on the upgraded Integrated Electronic Case Management System (IECMS). This latest iteration of the IECMS introduces several features aimed at streamlining the process for citizens seeking justice in Rwanda, promising to significantly reduce the time, effort and resources they were investing in the process of seeking justice remedies.

Opening the training session on IECMS, the Rector of the Institute of Legal Practice and Development (ILPD), Dr. Aimé Muyoboke Karimunda emphasized to MAJ officials the need to advise citizens efficiently and competently in order to help them understand the complexities of the justice system. They were reminded that MAJ is very crucial for the promotion of the rule of law in Rwanda as its officials are at the frontline of the Justice Sector. They are the first window through which the citizen assesses the government’s duty to provide excellent justice services to its people. They were therefore encouraged to always upgrade their knowledge and skills and to keep their attitudes on check since for the citizens they are the first reflect of the Justice Sector’s efficiency.

Muyoboke said, “lawyers should work on how to effectively utilize the functionalities of our system and empower ourselves to guide citizens in accessing the services they need quickly, efficiently, and courteously.”

As per Mr Joseph Magondo, the trainer, the enhanced version of IECMS will introduce additional features necessary for Justice Sector institutions, which were not compatible with the previous system. This led to a transition from monolithic technology to micro services, enabling the accommodation of all requirements from IECMS users.

Magondo said, “The upgraded IECMS will incorporate new features essential for justice sector institutions, which were not supported by the previous version. This necessitated a shift from monolithic technology to micro services, ensuring that all user requirements of IECMS are met.”

Magondo further stated that the enhanced IECMS will significantly advance citizen-centered justice by granting citizens access to track their cases at every stage of the judicial process, from investigation and prosecution to the courtroom.

“The new version also includes an e-court system, enabling individuals to participate in trials via video conference integrated into the system. This allows individuals to attend trial proceedings from the comfort of their homes or workplaces. Through this system, they can connect with the judge and other involved parties without the need to physically appear in a courtroom.” Magondo added.

The training sessions will be extended to all justice stakeholders in Rwanda, including Irembo agents, MAJ personnel, investigators, prosecutors, judges, and RCS staff. The anticipated launch of this new version is slated for July 2024.