Criminal liability for third person's act: case of release on bail

I.3. 2. mitigating circumstances

Contrarily to aggravating circumstances, mitigating circumstances are not provided anywhere in Rwandan criminal code. Rwandan criminal code have let them to the discretion or appreciation of judges but judges must motivate their mitigating decisions^98(*). Mitigating circumstances has as mission to diminish or modify penalties. The penal code provides the manner by which penalties are modified^99(*). Provisions of article 78 and 81 of penal code by analyzing them, we consider that the provocation is one of mitigating circumstances because they provide that an offence committed by provocation of the victim will entail the diminution of penalty^100(*)

Reducing the sentence does not modify the nature or qualification of a crime or its legality^101(*).

* ⁹⁸ Id., art. 82

* ⁹⁹ Ibid., art. 83-84

* ¹⁰⁰ Id., art 78;81

* ¹⁰¹ B. Jofrey MWINE, criminal responsibility in Rwandan law: criminal proceedings since 1994