Rwanda has a hybrid legal system: it has a civil-law history but is making efforts to move toward a common-law system. New legislation follows common-law principles. Rwanda operates under a mixed legal system, incorporating elements of both civil law and customary law, making it a pluralistic legal system. This legal framework combines influences from the civil law tradition inherited from the colonial period, particularly the Belgian legal system, with aspects of traditional Rwandan customary law. The goal is to create a legal system that reflects the country's historical and cultural context while incorporating modern legal principles. This pluralistic approach seeks to harmonize formal statutory law with customary practices to provide a comprehensive and culturally sensitive legal framework in Rwanda.