ADDIS ABABA – Ethiopia is adamant to reform the justice system in a bid to make it compatible with constitutional principles relating to human rights, democracy and the rule of law, according to a prominent legal professional involved in the reform process.
An Advisory Council with the mandate to advice the Attorney General’s Office in matters relating to the reform of the legal and justice system was setup last year, with eight focus areas ranging from legal reform to law making process and administrative law.
According to Dr. Abadir Ibrahim, Head of the Secretariat of the Advisory Council, the reform is aims to increase the confidence of the public in the judiciary sector, and build a genuinely democratic federal system of governance. It also targets to enhance the capacity of the judiciary to be more independent, accountable, and effective in protecting the rights of citizens, he added.
Dr. Abadir said the government is committed to making a sweeping reform in the justice sector; and the Council so far has been able to achieve much in a short period of time.
Some of the laws that it drafted, such as the Organizations of Civil Societies’ Proclamation, Proclamation on the Re-Establishment of the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia, and the revised political party registration and code of ethics Proclamation have already had positive impact in their respective fields. About a dozen similar laws, two of which are sizable legal codes, are slated to be introduced to Parliament, he added.
In part, due to the prioritization of civil society law reform, it was the first to be completed and submitted to the government, whilst the Anti-Terrorism legislation is also given high priority, the Head of the Secretariat noted.
Furthermore, the Council is also working to ensure that the legislative process, including the way in which various pieces of law are drafted and adopted, will become more participatory and democratic. This will enhance both the formal and substantive quality of the country’s laws.
And according to him, the Parliament is reviewing the existing draft administrative procedure proclamation, and looking for ways to enhance its quality.
Meanwhile, Dr. Abadir is adamant that the Advisory Council ought to be deliberate about recommending activities that go beyond normative change.
Since much of the Council’s recommendations and efforts are going to set boundaries to the power and bring about new way of doing things, it has recommended comprehensive retraining of implementing institutions, and reforming administrative structure to fit the needs of revamped legal and regulatory infrastructure, he concluded.
The Ethiopian Herald November 27/2019
BY ROBEL YOHANNES
