Legal Affairs and Human Rights
The Directorate is a specialized support unit at the force headquarters that provides comprehensive legal services.
Its duties include; providing legal advisory services in the field of development, interpretation, application and implementation of unit in the RNP, specifically charged with rendering legal support to the force management.
The Directorate is armed with professional legal practitioners, it has made a significant contribution to improving the legal framework of policing with respect to legislation governing RNP.
Notable among its achievements have been providing the statutes governing RNP, the law on the establishment, general organization and jurisdiction of the RNP and the Police Code of Conduct.
Regionally and internationally, the Directorate has been at the forefront in formulating instruments relating to transnational investigations, regulation of firearms, ammunition and explosives and regional and international police cooperation. Over the past 10 years since its establishment, the Directorate has registered successes in formulating and implementing legislation and policies to guide members of RNP
The Directorate is a specialized support unit at the force headquarters that provides comprehensive legal services.
Its duties include; providing legal advisory services in the field of development, interpretation, application and implementation
The Directorate has undoubtedly established a legal framework that has consolidated the image of the RNP as a disciplined professional force within the region. This result, which corroborates the trust of the people of Rwanda, constitutes an ideal that RNP wishes to set forward in order to realize its activities for the present and the future.
Highlights between 2000 and 2010
On its emplacement, the unit was tasked with the primary responsibility of sensitizing men and women serving in the force on this new law. A number of sensitization seminars were conducted both at the force headquarters and in territorial units.
Later, in 2001 the unit started massive sensitization and training in Human Rights and Police that led to the development of a Manual on Human Rights and Training. In 2002 the Presidential Order no 155/01 of 31/12/2002 on Statutes governing National Police was published in the official Government Gazette. In 2003, the ministerial Order no 001/2003 of 01/08/2003 prescribing Members of Police Tender Council and its functioning was also issued.
This was followed by the new disciplinary system bringing into effect the Code of Conduct and disciplinary procedures in 2004 when training manuals were drawn up and various training sessions held on the implementation of rules following the presidential order no 155/01 of 31/12/2002 on statutes governing RNP, which became the other subsequent landmarks for the unit.
Other accomplishments include; effecting the Ministerial instructions on Building Capacity in Education for Police Officers, regulating private security firms, drafting of the law on money laundering and financing of terrorism with various stakeholders and the law relating to arms and ammunitions that has helped in the controlling of firearms between 2006 and 2009.
In the first half of 2010, the Directorate has so far registered a lot that include amendments to different laws, notably the law that establishes RNP, the Presidential Order no 155/01 of 31/12/2002 on Statutes governing National Police, the ministerial order of policy, drafting of legislation, management of litigious matters, administering and management of contracts and agreements.
Other duties include arbitration, special projects development, promotion of human rights culture and the general administration and management of legal services. The department is also responsible for preparing policy papers related to various policing issues. In general terms, though, it is a support function on the rules relating to disciplinary conduct, the law on dressing code and the Prime Minister’s order relating to Organizational Chart of Rwanda National Police. This was made in an effort to professionalize the force.
In respect to international police cooperation, the Directorate was involved in drafting Eastern Africa Police Chiefs Cooperation Organization (EAPCCO) Agreements relating to combating transnational crime, Terrorism, Narcotics, and cooperation agreement relating to exchange of fugitives and other sentenced criminals and the agreement on mutual exchange in criminal matters. The EAPCCO has put in place mechanisms of police cooperation against transnational crimes in the Eastern Africa Region
Quick Facts
2000: Unit started with the primary responsibility of sensitizing men and women serving in the force on the new law establishing Rwanda National Police.
2001: Massive sensitization and training in Human Rights and Police that led to the development of Manual on Human Rights and Training.
2003: Prescribing Members of Police Tender Council and its functioning was out.
2004: New disciplinary system bringing into effect the Code of Conduct and disciplinary procedures
2006: Regulating private security firms, drafting of the law on money laundering and financing of terrorism and the law relating to arms and ammunitions that has helped in controlling of firearms.
2007: The directorate was involved in drafting EAPCCO Agreements
Ends
