A gacaca court A genocide suspect standing trial before a gacaca court in Zivu, Rwanda, March 10, 2005. (more) gacaca court Rwandan court system Ask the Chatbot a Question More Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/gacaca-court Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

　　External Websites Ask the Chatbot a Question Written by Amy McKenna Amy McKenna is a senior editor, primarily focused on geography and history matters pertaining to sub-Saharan Africa. She joined Encyclopaedia Britannica in 2004. She was previously employed by Standard... Amy McKenna Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Jan 30, 2025 • Article History Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask the Chatbot a Question { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What is the origin and purpose of gacaca courts in Rwanda? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Gacaca courts are a traditional system of justice in Rwanda, originally used to resolve conflicts such as land disputes and property damage. They focus on restoring social harmony and reintegrating people who have caused harm back into the community." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " How did gacaca courts change after the 1994 genocide in Rwanda? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "After the 1994 genocide gacaca courts were modified to handle the immense number of genocide-related cases. They aimed to promote reconciliation and national unity by trying suspects, encouraging them to confess and apologize, and uncovering unknown details of the genocide." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What were some criticisms of the gacaca court system? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Critics noted that gacaca judges often lacked legal experience, leading to inconsistent trial quality, and that the systemu2019s expediency compromised fair trial rights." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " How many cases did gacaca courts handle and what was their conviction rate? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Gacaca courts tried 1,958,634 genocide-related cases with a conviction rate of 86 percent." } } ] } Top Questions What is the origin and purpose of gacaca courts in Rwanda? Gacaca courts are a traditional system of justice in Rwanda, originally used to resolve conflicts such as land disputes and property damage. They focus on restoring social harmony and reintegrating people who have caused harm back into the community.

　　How did gacaca courts change after the 1994 genocide in Rwanda? After the 1994 genocide gacaca courts were modified to handle the immense number of genocide-related cases. They aimed to promote reconciliation and national unity by trying suspects, encouraging them to confess and apologize, and uncovering unknown details of the genocide.

　　What were some criticisms of the gacaca court system? Critics noted that gacaca judges often lacked legal experience, leading to inconsistent trial quality, and that the system’s expediency compromised fair trial rights.

　　How many cases did gacaca courts handle and what was their conviction rate? Gacaca courts tried 1,958,634 genocide-related cases with a conviction rate of 86 percent.

　　gacaca court, traditional system of justice in Rwanda. It was revived and modified in the aftermath of the country’s 1994 genocide, during which more than 800,000 civilians—primarily those of the Tutsi ethnic group—were killed. Gacaca courts were one of the means used to bring the many perpetrators of the genocide to justice and to promote reconciliation in the country, though the efficacy of this approach is disputed. Gacaca is a Kinyarwanda word popularly translated as “grass” that has come to be more broadly translated as “justice on the grass,” “lawn justice,” or similar, when referring to Rwanda’s traditional justice system, ...(100 of 1692 words)

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