Criminal Code translated into Afaan Oromo

By MergaYonas (Ethiopian Reporter)

The Supreme Court of the Oromia Regional State has translated the Federal Criminal Code of Ethiopia, written in Amharic and English, into Afaan Oromo in order to offer understanding for the nation and avoid legal mishandling in the region. Since recent times, the regional government has been exposed to various kinds of crimes ranging from corruption to mishandling of legal matters by judges and legal officers.

Particularly, the major problem the region is facing, and which has been investigated, was giving a verdict based on false evidences, AlemayoAtomsa, President of the Region said during the Caffee meeting held late last week in Adama town.

According to an investigation cooperatively done by police officers and judges, of 32,140 ruled cases across the region on 30,128 cases plea has been filed again, Alemayo said in its report.

To maintain the rule of law, the region has been striving to improve concerns raised from a legal perspective, which the translation could contribute to, creating more understanding than before both for the clients and legal personnel, Alemayo said.

Reading the six month report to the members of Caffee, the president said, in order to solve the problems related to lawyers and plea-writers of individual cases, the region has also been preparing a new proclamation that governs them as well.

“The Oromia Supreme Court has been working strongly to make the justice system beneficial to the public at large in the regional state,” SayidJundi, vice president with the Oromia Supreme Court, told The Reporter.

However, there are still areas in every passage of the justice system and this is happening as there are some individuals who have rent-seeking behavior that weakens the structure and bear disobedience among judges and other legal practitioners, Sayid added.

Last May, the region's Supreme Court fired 10 judges, accusing them of misusing their position and of being corrupt. And in 2011, the Court dismissed over 15 judges and legal officers, alleging them of the same cases.