Strengthening the human resource capacity of the Institute of Legal Practice and Development (ILPD)

Sector

Justice

Project budget

The maximum budget for this project is  € 1 million.

Organisations

This project has been developed by the Institute of Legal Practice and Development (ILPD). The tender for this project expired on 19 April 2010. Nuffic has awarded this tender to MDF Training & Consultancy BV, which has formed a consortium with the Center for International Legal Cooperation (CILC) and Utrecht University.

Project description

This project supports ILPD to develop its training and administrative capacity. This will enable the institute offer relevant further education to all legal practitioners in the country.

Rwanda is still recovering from the 1994 genocide, which nearly decimated a number of professional sectors, including the legal sector. It also led to an exodus of skilled staff. With the Rwanda Vision 2020 and the Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS) 2008-2012 the country has set itself ambitious development objectives.

Strenghtening the rule of law

The GoR is trying to reconcile communities and reunite the country. It has started various constitutional and legal reforms to strengthen the rule of law, enhance accountability and promote human rights. These reforms require skilled professionals who can push progress. 

However, Rwanda has very few qualified legal staff. It also has one of the youngest legal sectors in the region. In 2007 the Institute of Legal Practice and Development (ILPD) was established to address the skills gap.

ILPD

ILPD's mandate is to provide post-graduate legal education to Rwanda's legal professionals, including practicing judicial officers, prosecutors, lawyers and recently graduated lawyers. In addition, it focuses on other actors including bailiffs and notaries. Finally, it supports staff of the Justice Reconciliation Law and Order Sector (JRLOS) who deal with legal matters, such as clerks and mediators.

ILPD started operating in 2008. It first developed a Diploma in Legal Practice and tailor-made courses. Thanks to donor funding, ILPD is now further developing its policies, infrastructure and curriculum.

ILPD's academic staff need to improve their formal qualifications for ILPD to meet the accreditation requirements set by the Higher Education Council. In addition to its considerable training responsibility, ILPD needs to develop sufficient research and consultancy capacity. This is also something the project will focus on.