Weinstein International Foundation Adds Sam Rugege, Former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Rwanda, to Board of Directors

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 07, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Weinstein International Foundation (“Foundation”), a non-profit organization dedicated to making mediation available and accessible worldwide in the face of increasing global challenges and conflicts, welcomes Former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Rwanda Professor Sam Rugege to its board of directors. Rugege retired from the bench in December 2019 after having served 16 years as Chief Justice and Deputy Chief Justice.

As Chief Justice in Rwanda, Rugege was responsible for developing judicial policy and oversaw judicial reforms encompassing the use of court technologies, continuing legal education and specialization training for judges. During his tenure, access to justice was enhanced through constitutional challenges, public interest litigation and the promotion of court-annexed mediation. Now a certified and registered mediator, Rugege was recently appointed to serve as chairperson of the newly created Court Mediation Advisory Committee.

“I am greatly honored and humbled to be a member of the Weinstein International Foundation, joining a highly distinguished group of ADR pioneers. The Foundation is a champion of peaceful resolution of conflicts and other disputes, leading the effort of promoting greater access to justice through mediation and supporting education and training in mediation around the world. Rwanda has benefitted from its programs and I look forward to playing my part in this noble mission, especially in Africa where conflict continues to cause avoidable suffering and hamper development.”

A San Francisco-based non-profit organization, The Weinstein Foundation was founded by experienced dispute resolution pioneers in the U.S. and abroad, the organization leverages the growing network of ADR-trained Weinstein JAMS International Fellows to further promote mediation education and training while helping communities manage local, regional and cross-border non-commercial disputes in the public interest.

“We are thrilled that Sam Rugege has joined our board. The honorable former chief justice is respected worldwide in the fields of mediation, conflict resolution and reconciliation and will help lead our Foundation’s efforts to bring mediation to many regions in Africa with the same dedication and persistence he has demonstrated in Rwanda. To say we are thrilled to have Sam Rugege join our board is an understatement,” said Judge Danny Weinstein, Founder, Weinstein International Foundation.

Justice Rugege’s leadership in the Rwandan judiciary helped expand use of mediation in the country through the implementation of a court-annexed mediation project. Today, the Rwandan Judiciary remains committed to enhancing ADR and mediation and regularly refers cases to court-accredited mediators for mediation, as well as promoting mediation as a dispute resolution tool through public awareness campaigns.

In Rwanda, the Ministry of Justice has initiated a national ADR policy project, with the goal of developing an informed ADR comprehensive plan and a coordinated approach to its implementation at both the local and national levels. As part of this plan, a national mediation policy is now pending approval by the government. If passed, this policy will make mediation mandatory at the pre-filing stage of civil disputes and substantially raise the awareness and use of mediation.

Rugege was educated at Makerere University, Yale Law School and the University of Oxford, where he obtained an LLB, LLM and D. Phil, respectively. He began his career as a lecturer in law at Makerere University, before being forced to flee the terror of the Idi Amin regime in 1976. Rugege then taught at the Universities of Lesotho and Swaziland. Before being elevated to the bench, he was a professor of law at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) in South Africa, where he taught constitutional law and post-Apartheid land reform.

Rugege was elected an Honorary Fellow of St. Peter’s College, Oxford “in recognition of outstanding achievements in the field of law.” He has also been honored by the East African Law Society “in recognition of distinguished service to the legal profession,” by the Rwanda Bar Association for “outstanding contribution to the development of the legal profession and the justice sector in Rwanda” and by the Kigali Arbitration Centre for “extraordinary contribution and dedication to the promotion of ADR in Rwanda.”

“Former Chief Justice Sam Rugege has been a lightning rod for change in the Rwandan judicial system and for his commitment to fostering mediation skill development in the Judiciary and the bar association. His inspirational and unassuming leadership will be a tremendous asset in the Foundation’s efforts to advance mediation throughout Africa, and beyond,” said Bruce Edwards, Foundation board member.

“Chief Justice Sam Rugege (Ret.) is a judicial rockstar whose extraordinary vision and commitment to mediation in Rwanda has expanded the delivery of equal justice to the Rwandan people. We are so excited that he has joined us with his unique perspective and proven leadership skills as we seek to expand the resolution of disputes through mediation on the African Continent and around the world,” said Judge Ann Claire Williams (Ret.), Foundation board member.

About the Weinstein International Foundation

The Weinstein International Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to making mediation available and accessible worldwide in the face of increasing global challenges and conflict. Founded by deeply experienced dispute resolution pioneers in the U.S. and abroad, we leverage the growing network of ADR-trained Weinstein JAMS International Fellows to further promote mediation education and training while helping our communities manage local, regional and cross-border non-commercial disputes in the public interest.

Headquartered in San Francisco, the Weinstein International Foundation works through a global network of ADR-trained dispute resolution professionals from around the world with the cultural understanding and local knowledge necessary to promote the resolution of conflict through mediation and other dispute resolution practices in their own countries and beyond.