Value of Out-of-Court Confessional Statements in Rwandan Criminal Legal Practice

Abstract

In criminal proceedings, the confession of an accused is the best evidence and has a considerable force or value than all other proofs. It is one of the most powerful types of evidence that exists. This study explores the value and weight of confessional statements made in police and in prosecution authority in Rwanda. It examines the provisions governing the admissibility of the confessional statements made in the phase of the investigation, their judicial considerations and how their application should be efficiently evaluated in the aim to safeguard the rights of the accused person. In this perspective, different situations where an accused might reverse in court his extrajudicial confessional statement were qualitatively analyzed. This research argues that the first impressions of a best Rwandan judge could be always to treat extra-judicial confession as suspicious evidence. This contribution commends legislative enactment and the creation of awareness of the judges and the court animators towards on a careful analysis of extrajudicial confession.