Abstract
In February 2020, the Rwandan Court of Appeal (CoA) set aside a provision of the penal code prohibiting judges from meting out punishments below the minimum set by the law. In doing so, CoA held that that provision should not be applied because it is contrary to the principles of fair trial and independence of the judiciary. CoA opined that its judgment in this case was in line with the spirit of the Supreme Court’s decisions, in the Kabasinga cases, which found articles 92 and 133(3) and (5) of the penal code, setting life imprisonment as a compulsory penalty in case of conviction, inconsistent with Articles 29 (on the Right to due process of law) and 151 (on the principles of the judicial system) of the Constitution of the Republic of Rwanda of 2003 revised in 2015. From the period that decision of CoA was taken, some judges in various courts in Rwanda drew inspiration from it by increasingly their prudence in the imposition of statutory mandatory minimum sentences set by law.
It is against this background that the present article seeks to analyse whether CoA’s decision to set aside Article 60 (2º) of the penal code of Rwanda was in conformity with the principle of the rule of law.
At the core of the argument put forward in this article, is the argument that statutory provisions containing mandatory minimum sentences, not yet declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court may still be applied as long as they are not (yet) abrogated through appropriate procedures provided by the law.
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References
A. Legislation
1. Constitution of the Republic of Rwanda of 2003 revised in 2015, Official Gazette n° Special of 24/12/2015.
2. Law Nº68/2018 of 30/08/2018 determining offences and penalties in general, Official Gazette No. Special of 27/09/2018.
3. Law N°30/2018 of 02/06/2018 determining the jurisdiction of courts, Official Gazette n° Special of 02/06/2018.
4. 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.
B. Court decisions
1. Prosecutor vs NSAFASHWANIMANA Jean De Dieu, Court of Appeal, RPAA/00032/2019/CA, 28/02/2020, unpublished.
2. Prosecutor vs IMANIMENYABAYO Emmanuel aka Kadogo, Intermediate Court of Nyagatare, RP 00971/2020/TGI/NYG, 25/05/2022, unpublisged.
3. Prosecutor vs NDACYAYISENGA Diogene, Intermediate Court of Nyagatare, RP 00936/2020/TGI/NYG, 25/05/2022, unpublished.
4. Prosecutor vs ZIHABARAMYE Fred, Intermediate Court of Nyagatare, RP 00921/2020/TGI/NYG, 25/05/2022, unpublished.
5. Prosecutor vs NZERI Jean de Dieu, Intermediate Court of Gasabo, RP 00151/2019/GSABO, Judgement of 12/02/2020 unpublished.
6. Prosecutor vs NZERI Jean de Dieu, High Court of Kigali, RPA 00388/2020/HC/KIG, Judgement of 17/03/2022 unpublished.
7. Prosecutor vs MERERWANEZA Valens, RPAA 00042/2020/CA, Judgement of 31/01/2022
8. Re. KABASINGA, Supreme Court, RS/INCONST/SPEC 00003/2019/SC, RLR - V.2 – 2020
9. Re. KABASINGA ET AL, Supreme Court, RS/INCONST/SPEC 00006/2020/CS, RLR V.4-2021.
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11. Palling v Corfield (1970) 123 CLR 52.
12. Provincial Court Judges Assn (Manitoba) v Manitoba (Minister of Justice) [1997] 3 SCR 3 at para 130, 150 DLR (4th) 577.
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