Ethiopian Bar Ass’n under fire

Contributor

January 25, 2006

The Ethiopian Bar Association, which was established 40 years ago, is under fire from the government. The vice minister of justice, Woizero Semegne Wubie, in her January 6, 2006 letter to the lawyers office under the ministry said:

“Although it is known that there is no duly constituted and registered lawyers association, the Ethiopian Bar Association representing the lawyers used to participate in the licensing and disciplinary committees. Therefore, until an independent lawyers association is established, and it designates its representatives, the lawyers representatives should be dismissed from their membership in the committees.”

The blow to the bar is because members volunteered, including the president, Getachew Kitaw, to defend CUDP leaders pro bono.

The Ethiopian Bar Association, which is a member of the International Bar Association and the Pan African Lawyers Union, is currently trying to exhaust administrative remedies, if at all there is any, before starting a court case. Altough the Articles of Association of the Bar clearly say Members of the Bar should be licensed lawyers only, the vice minister failed to see that, and said the bar does not represent the practicing lawyers.

It is feared that the next move of the EPRDF might be against the individual lawyers once the Bar is dismantled. If it went this
far against the defence lawyers who live on their own, one can clearly
immagine what the government would do to the judges and prosecutors who
are its employees! EPRDF does have a kangaroo court. It is now heading
towards creating a kangaroo Bar!