The SUDREAU GLOBAL JUSTICE INSTITUTE Continues to Bring Hope and Justice to Incarcerated Individuals Across Several Partner Countries in Africa
In 2024 the institute provided critical legal representation to detainees without access to counsel, facilitated plea bargaining for those who sought it, and offered training to local attorneys and judges on enhancing legal system efficiencies and best practices.
The institute has developed particularly strong relationships with the judiciary and attorneys in Rwanda and Uganda, with the following results for fiscal year 2024:
Rwanda
- 10,666 New Clients
- 9,204 Cases Resolved
- 4,606 Immediately Released
Uganda
- 2,783 New Clients
- 2,202 Cases Resolved
- 1,133 Immediately Released
This year the institute also hosted the first-ever Pan-African conference for Africa’s judicial leaders. On March 16, chief justices and senior national judges from 22 African nations gathered for two days of capacity-building workshops focused on alternative dispute resolution methods, such as plea bargaining. These sessions were designed to help advance public defense efforts, reduce case backlogs, and alleviate prison overcrowding. By the end of the conference, nearly every participating country expressed interest in partnering with the institute.
Following the event, Sudreau Institute and Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution leaders led a cohort of 15 African chief justices and offered a groundbreaking, exclusive training program in negotiation, mediation, arbitration, and plea bargaining. In October, a five-day capstone event at the University’s Château d’Hauteville in Switzerland marked the culmination of this comprehensive course. This specialized collaboration of chief justices is poised to drive transformative reforms in justice systems across Africa.
