ETHIOPIA
AT A GLANCE
Head of Government: Prime Minister Meles Zenawi (final term)
Next election: May 2010
Capital: Addis Ababa
Population: 85.2 million (UN, 2008)
Independence: Ethiopia is Africa's oldest independant country; it has never been colonized.
Human Development Index (HDI): 169th of 177 countries (2008)
Gender Gap Index (GGI): 117th out of 130 countries (2008)
Strengthening Ethiopia's Criminal Justice System
Status: Operational
Local Organization: Ministry of Justice
Canadian Experts: Yvon Dandurand and associates from the Vancouver-based International Centre for Criminal Law Reform and Criminal Justice Policy
Following visits to Canada, France, Germany and China to benchmark various models and experiences of criminal justice administration, Ethiopia’s Minister of Justice selected the Canadian model to serve as a source of inspiration for its criminal justice reforms. The EMOJ requested Canadian expertise to help review existing criminal policies and procedures, including a gender-sensitive Alternative Dispute Resolution, to improve the functioning of its justice system.
Criminal justice expert Yvon Dandurand and associates from the Vancouver-based International Centre for Criminal Law Reform and Criminal Justice Policy were selected to assist the Ethiopian Ministry of Justice. They will provide recommendations on a proposed new national crime prevention and criminal justice policy which will support reforms to make the criminal justice system more accessible, transparent and equitable for all Ethiopian citizens. The new policy is a preliminary step towards comprehensive reforms to the country's Code of Penal Procedure.
In light of the Ethiopian constitution and the government’s obligations under international law, these Canadian legal experts will identify relevant international standards and best practices and provide a summary of the Canadian experience. This CIDA-funded Deployment for Democratic Development (DDD) initiative involves comprehensive consultations with all stakeholders including the Ministry of Justice, the prosecution, police, prison administration and the judiciary. It aims to improve relations among these stakeholders and to define priority reforms they all can agree on.