THE CONSTITUTIONALITY OF OROMIA COURTS IN ADDIS ABABA CITY: THE IMPEDES

Abstract

This commentary aims to provide a snapshot of the establishment of Oromia National Regional State’s (ONRS) Courts in Addis Ababa City (AAC) and its impediments through a desktop archives review. As the FDRE Constitution under article 49 provides, the residents of AAC shall have a full measure of self-government, but the administration shall be responsible to the Federal Government, the Constitution also acknowledges the special interest of the ONRS in Addis Ababa for the notion of the Capital City being located within the State of Oromia. However, recently, practical steps have been taken to establish all levels of ONRS courts in Addis Ababa, this is unconstitutional and lacks the political participation of the City’s residents. Despite this, the Federal Government has sent a Draft Criminal Procedure and Evidence Law for approval to the House of People’s Representatives, which seems to be granted recognition for the act of ONRS. As the City is a home of various ethnicities, the act of ONRS and the Federal Government to establish courts for a region established based on ethnicity may result in unintended consequences, such as igniting violence and driving the country's politics to widespread unrest.