Appointment of a new Chief Justice in Rwanda
President Paul Kagame appointed on December 4, 2019, Faustin Ntezilyayo, former Minister of Justice, new chief judge, Ntezilyayo replaces Sam Rugege who has headed the judiciary for eight years. Kagame also appointed Marie-Thérèse Mukamulisa to the position of associate chief judge, replacing Zainabu Sylvie Kayitesi.
Until his appointment, Ntezilyayo was a judge at the East African Court of Justice, a professor of law at the University of Rwanda, Faculty of Law and director of the Center for Trade and Investment Law and Policy. He holds a doctorate in law from the University of Antwerp, a master’s in tax law from the Free University of Brussels and a master’s in international affairs with a specialization in international trade policy from Carleton University (2009, Canada),
He followed various professional trainings in fields such as arbitration, corporate governance, negotiation of financial transactions and legal aspects of public debt management, financial regulation and regulation of telecommunications services, among other.
The new Chief Justice is also a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIarb-London), a member of the Panel of Conciliators / Arbitrators of the International Center for Investment Dispute Resolution (ICSID) and a member of the AfAA.
In Rwanda, the Chief Justice and the Deputy Chief Justice can only exercise a non-renewable eight-year term.
The Supreme Court of Rwanda is a member of the CJCA since 2017.
