In this article, the author explores the issues pertaining to determination of arbitrability under Rwandan law. In the process of arbitration proceeding the question of arbitrability is of utmost importance because arbitrability determines as to what matter can or cannot be arbitrable. If the subject matter is not found to be arbitrable, the arbitration agreement remains without effect.

The first issue to explore is the lack of specific criteria to determine whether a matter is or is not arbitrable under Rwandan law. The second issue relates to the appropriateness of having a law with limitation to commercial matters versus having a law on arbitration in general. Lastly, there is a debate on the competent court in the first place to determine the issue of arbitrability between states’ court and arbitral tribunal. In a bid to fully analyse these underlining issues and recommend possible solutions to fill identified gaps, on the one hand, this article critically and comparatively analyses Rwandan, foreign and international arbitration legal texts. On another hand, the article examines how Rwandan and foreign courts have dealt with matter of arbitrability.

Legal texts and regulations

A.National legal texts

Law N° 005/2008 of 14/02/2008 on arbitration and conciliation in commercial matters (Year 47 n° special of 06 March 2008)

Law No 22/2018 of 29/04/2018 relating to the civil, commercial, labour and administrative procedure (Official Gazette nº Special of 29/04/2018)

Law N°30/2018 of 02/06/2018 determining the jurisdiction of courts (Official Gazette n° Special of 02/06/2018).

Law N° 66/2018 of 30/08/2018 regulating labour in Rwanda (Official Gazette No. Special of 06/09/2018)

B. Books and Publications

Loukas A. Mistelis and Stavros L. Brekoulakis, Arbitrability: International & Comparative Perspectives, Kluwers Law International, the Netherlands, 2009.

CASSIUS Jean, Etude comparée de la réglementation de l’arbitrage international dans l’OHADA et en Suisse, Université de Genève - DEA Droit de l’arbitrage international 2007.

Alessandro Stasi, Elements of Thai Civil Law, Leiden, Netherland, 2015. Fouchard P., Gaillard E. and Goldman B., On International Commercial Arbitration, Kluwers Law International, the Netherlands, 1999.

Jean-Louis Delvolvé, Jean Rouche, Gerald Pointon, French Arbitration Law and Practice: A Dynamic Civil Law Approach to International Arbitration, 2nd revised edition, Kluwer Law International BV, the Netherland, 2009.

Amazu A. Asouzu, International Commercial Arbitration and African States: Practice, Participation and Institutional Development, 1st Ed., Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 2001.

Michael L. Moffitt, Andrea Kupfer Schneider, Examples & Explanations for Dispute Resolution, 3rd Ed., Wolters Kluwer Law & Business, New York, 2014.

C. CASE LAWS

Commercial Court of Nyarugenge, RCom 1173/14/TC/Nyge, judgement of 05/01/2015.

High Commercial Court, PREMIER CONSULTING GROUP Ltd (PCG) vs MURENGEZI Jean Luc RSOCA 0045/14/HC/KIG, judgment of 10/10/2014.

High Commercial Court of Nyarugenge N° RCOM 0327/10/HCC judgement of 10/01/2011.

Intermediate Court of Gasabo, RSOC 0160/13/TGI/GSBO, Judgment of 10/02/2013.

 D. ONLINE SOURCES

http://www.ghellal.com/publications/pdf/international%20 arbitration.pdf accessed on 31 October 2018

Tatiana Goloubtchikova- Ernst, L’extension de l’arbitrabilité dans l’arbitrage commercial international, available on www. warvarbitration.com/pdf/Arbitrabilité_art.pdf, accessed on 31 October 2018.

International Labour and Employment Arbitration: A French and European Perspective: http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/ aba/events/labor_law/2012/05/international_labor_employment_ law_committee_midyear_meeting/mw2012int_arbitration_tarasew. authcheckdam.pdf accessed on 05 November 2018.