The Gacaca Judicial Process

“The gacaca judicial process is significantly different from conventional trials. To begin with the formal criminal justice procedures and gacaca courts have different goals. First, wliereas trials pursue tmth through adversarial disclosures before an impartial judge, the gacaca process encourages voluntary confession through forgiveness. Such forgiveness is granted by individuals who voluntarily give up hatred and resentment towards offenders and by the state through reduced punishment. Second, trials and gacaca have different goals. Whereas trials seek to identify offenders and to prosecute them for their illegal behavior, gacaca is chiefly concerned with overcoming animosity and distmst and restoring relationships. To help restore offenders,