ADDIS ABABA- Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (HRC) said it has drafted a new bill meant to enhance the protection of human rights in the country.
Deputy Commissioner Eshetu Gebrie told The Ethiopian Herald that the bill has been referred to Law, Justice and Administration Affairs Standing Committee of the parliament for scrutiny.
To him, the new bill, deemed to enable the Commission’s efforts of expanding branch offices across the country, will help to foster the protection of human rights.
“Despite ambition to establish 13 branches, the Commission practically opened eight of them,” according to him.
Though the law states as a commissioner heading the children and women affairs is one of the members of the Council of Commissioners, its practicality become difficult owing to the law’s limitation in detailing the powers and functions of the commissioner, according to him.
Another gap in the law is that the Commission only reports cases relating to human rights to Attorney General but have no legal ground to follow up the cases, he added.
The Ethiopian Herald February 22/2019
BY YESUF ENDRIS
