Ms. Rosette UMUTONIWASE

Ms. Rosette UMUTONIWASE is an Advocate of the High Court of Rwanda, an accredited court mediator, and a legal academic with specialized expertise in regional integration, business law, and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms. She currently serves as a Lecturer at the Institute of Legal Practice and Development (ILPD) and practices law with a focus on commercial litigation, contract drafting, and dispute resolution. Her professional work seamlessly integrates legal theory with practical application, particularly in alternative dispute resolution and corporate legal advisory services. Ms. Rosette has completed advanced legal training, including a Certificate in Mediation Skills from Edwards Mediation Academy and a Certificate in Contract Law from Harvard University, demonstrating her commitment to continuous professional development and excellence in legal practice. 

She holds a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Regional Integration and East African Community Law from the Tanzanian-German Centre for Eastern African Legal Studies (TGCL), a joint program of the University of Dar es Salaam and the University of Bayreuth, as well as a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Kigali, a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Health Sciences from the University of Rwanda, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice from ILPD. Ms. Rosette has previously served as a Lecturer at the East African University Rwanda (EAUR) and is actively involved in the East African Law Society (EALS), serving on the Cross-Border Practice and Regulation Committee and the Environmental Law Committee. 

Her research and publications include ‘Examination of Gender Equality Compliance under the Rwandan Legal Framework’ (KAS African Law Study Library), ‘The Legal Analysis of Community Rights in Environmental Decision-Making in Somalia’ (African Legal Studies),‘Strengthening Investment Climates through Governance Reforms: Insights from Rwanda’ (KAS African Law Study Library), and ‘Breaking Barriers: The Legal Struggles and Opportunities of Labor Migration Across Africa’ (African Legal Studies Blog).

Dr. Yves Sezirahiga

Days of work:

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday.

Official Contact Details

Short Bios:

Dr. Yves SEZIRAHIGA is the Vice-Rector in charge of academic and research affairs at the Institute of Legal Practice and Development (ILPD). Prior to Becoming Vice-Rector, he was a lecturer at the School of the law of the University of Rwanda for 14 years. His academic work and research place special emphasis on the areas of international and domestic criminal law, transitional justice, and human rights. At the University of Rwanda, Dr. Yves occupied various positions in the School of Law. He worked as the Deputy Coordinator in Charge of Claims of the Legal Aid Clinic (LAC) from March 2008 to August 2009; as the Exams Coordinator from 2012 to 2016, and as the Industrial Attachment Coordinator from March 2020 to November 2021.

Dr. Yves is also a senior practicing lawyer. He joined the Rwanda Bar Association in June 2009. He earned his bachelor's degree in Law with Distinction (LLB) from the National University of Rwanda, his Master’s degree Cum laude from Utrecht University, and his Doctorate from the School of Law of the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. His Ph.D. research is on ‘The Right of Victims of International Crimes to Reparations in the Aftermath of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda’.

Degrees and Other Credentials:

Groningen University (RUG) / Netherlands:

Ph.D. in International Criminal Justice / April 2016 to June 2021

Utrecht University (UU) / Netherlands:

Master’s Degree with distinction(LLM ‘Cum laude’) in International Law of Human Rights and Criminal Justice / September 2009 to 25 August 2010.

National University of Rwanda (NUR)/ Rwanda:

Bachelor’s Degree in Law (LLB) with distinction / October 2001- 2006

APE Rugunga Secondary School:

O’ Level Certificate (A2) in Droit et Administration with Distinction /October 1994 to July 2000.

Other credentials currently held or training completed:

Bar Membership Certificate

Certified Mediator

Research Interests:

His academic work and research place special emphasis on the areas of international and domestic criminal law, transitional justice, and human rights

Publications:

Sezirahiga, Y 2021, 'The Right of Victims of International Crimes to Reparations in the Aftermath of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda', Doctor of Philosophy, University of Groningen, [Groningen]. https://doi.org/10.33612/diss.172235636

Sezirahiga Yves, Women’s Right to Inheritance before the Succession Law in Rwanda, (2021), in Rwanda Law Journal, Issue no 2, Nov. 2021, pp. 59-81.

Teaching responsibilities (current academic year):

• International Judicial Proceedings
• Mediation
• Client-lawyer Interviewing Techniques
• Moot Court

Other activities:

• Academic and Research Administration
• Defence lawyer
• Mediator

Other relevant links:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/yves-sezirahiga-ph-d-7890b0119/

Viateur Bangayandusha

Bagwaneza Sadiki Dieudonné

Official Contact Details

Days of work:

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday

Short Bios

During almost 7 years, Sadiki serves as a Full-time lecturer at the Institute of Legal Practice and Development (ILPD), as well as Part-time lecturer in other High Learning institutions in Rwanda and abroad. Particularly in ILPD, he facilitates the subjects of family transactions and insolvency practice. For nearly two decades, he has served in high learning institutions as a lecturer and has worked as a litigation and transactional lawyer for more than a decade. Furthermore, Sadiki served as the Academic Dean at the Institute of Legal Practice and Development (ILPD), and Head of Department of law as well as Full-time lecturer at Kigali Independent University (ULK). During the time he was at ULK, he particularly taught private law subjects and mostly business law related courses.

Sadiki is a practicing lawyer working with CERTA Law, he is thus member of the Rwanda Bar Association. He is currently conducting his PhD research in insolvency/bankruptcy law at Vrije University Amsterdam (VU) in Netherlands, he holds a Master’s degree (LLM) in international business law and globalization from Utrecht University (Netherlands), a Diploma in Legal Practice from the Institute of Legal Practice and Development (ILPD) and a Bachelor’s degree (LLB) in law from the Kigali Independent University (ULK). Sadiki is fluent in French, English, Swahili and Kinyarwanda.

Dr. Yves Sibo Gahizi

Official Contact Details:

Days of work:

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday

Short Bios:

Dr Sibo read law at University of Rwanda and graduated in 2000. He earned an LL.M in criminal law at University of Poitiers, in France, in 2007. He completed PhD in law at University of Sussex, in England, in 2019. His PhD thesis is titled: International cooperation in criminal matters. A case study of the East African Community.

Dr Sibo served as prosecutor at Intermediate level from 2001 to 2008. He was member of the High Council for the Prosecution in Rwanda from September 2004 to December 2005.

Dr Sibo joined ILPD in 2008 as part-time lecturer first, and later as full-time lecturer in 2009. He currently heads and teaches the modules on Interviewing and Criminal Process in the Diploma in Legal Practice. Dr Sibo teaches Advanced Legal Research too. In the past, Dr Sibo coordinated the Postgraduate diploma in legislative drafting and taught the module Understanding the legal context for new legislation. He was awarded The Australian Leadership Award Fellowship for the programme Legislative Drafting Capacity Building in East Africa at Sydney Law school in Australia, in 2011. The programme involved an internship at the Office of the Chief Parliamentary Counsel in Melbourne. Dr Sibo was member of the Board of Directors for the ILPD, from 2011 to 2014. He lectures at Kigali Independent University too, teaching the law of international organisations in Public International Law Master’s programme and international criminal law and (domestic) criminal procedure in undergraduate.

Dr Sibo is also registered advocate at Rwanda Bar.

Research Interests:

Dr Sibo is interested particularly in criminal justice and policy, transnational crimes, transnational law, policing, legal reasoning and interpretation, legislative drafting, human rights, the sources of law, and legal research

Research:

Dr Sibo is currently researching the sources of the law in Rwanda law.

Mrs Aroobe Mbaya Mutoniwase

Mr Anastase U. Ngabo