Addis Ababa University (AAU) School of Law has conducted a three days training focused on human rights and criminal justice administration at Ethiopia Hotel to judges and prosecutors that came from all parts of the country.

According to Mr. Eyob Awash, Instructor at the Law School and Coordinator for the Free Service Centre of Lideta Branch, the main purpose of the training is to create awareness on the trainees about human rights and criminal justice administration.

The training is held in collaboration of the Law School and the US Foreign Affairs Department of Human Rights, as part of “Widening Access to Justice” project which has been functioning since 2017, Eyob said.

“The project primarily provides free legal aid to citizens who are unable to afford to hire lawyers for their justice cases and gives capacity building trainings in relation to supporting the justice system in general,” Eyob intensified.

As Eyob further stated, the training also aims at AAU legal scholars conduct and engage the training to enhance the rule of law by expanding awareness of law enforcement through interacting with the trainees.

As observed by the staff reporter, the training is given supported with a document produced after a needs assessment study had been carried out focused on human rights situation in criminal proceedings.

The study revealed that individuals who were under any form of detention faced human rights violation apparent to physical abuse including torture, various forms of ill treatment, lack of access to lawyers, search without warrant and unreasonable extension of remands.

“At its most basic, the rule of law is the principle that every person should be subjected to the same law. It abhors arbitrary governmental rule or action, and seeks to provide citizens with some basic protections by requiring the government to act according to the law,” the document mentioned.

The training generally tries to enable the judges grasp the role of the prosecution in the enforcement of rule of law and preventing human rights violations so that they can play their own roles in ensuring that prosecution discharges this responsibility.

The training has been given to 50 judges and prosecutors that came from all regions and city administrations of Ethiopia for three days, 10-12 August 2021.

By: Abraham Girmay

Photo: Fikremariam Beyene