Court Bailiffs/Huissies de Justice are mainly self employed individuals (48 in total, mainly in commercial centres), licensed to work in a jurisdiction by MINIJUST and required to submit annual fee tariffs to MINIJUST for approval. Their clients are both private and public sector for whom they act as process servers, debt collectors and private investigators.

The Huissiers hold contracts with the Courts for service of summons, notices to appear, judgements and other court document, and other services such as transcription of oral evidence. For judgement creditors with means, the Huissiers are used for enforcement. Those without means rely on the Local Administration in the Districts for service, a slower and less effective service.

Court Bailiffs/Huissiers de Justice also have a role in the criminal justice system – for example in the delivery of prisoner release papers from the court to the prison. There are reports of the relatives of prisoners having to pay the Huissiers to deliver release papers to the prisons in order to effect an order for release. Although the Huissiers have a professional body, the Corps de Huissiers de Justice, they are not well organised and do not function as an institution. The fee tariff submitted to MINIJUST annually is neither approved nor rejected by MINIJUST and, as a consequence, fee rates are subject to negotiation between the Huissiers and the client.

For more information read law N° 31/2001 of 12/06/2001 in Official Gazette of the Republic of Rwanda n° 23 of 01/12/2001 You can also consult www.amategeko.net