The Attorney General of Ethiopia (Amharic: የኢትዮጵያ ጠቅላይ ዐቃቢ ህግ) is a law official that ensures law and prosecutes criminal investigation under Council of Ministers Proclamation No.943/2016. It was established in 2015 with Getachew Ambaye serving as the first attorney general from 2016 to 2018. The Attorney General is appointed by the House of Peoples' Representatives (HPR) and the deputy Attorney General is appointed by the Prime Minister.
| Attorney General of Ethiopia | |
|---|---|
| Amharic: የኢትዮጵያ ጠቅላይ ዐቃቢ ህግ | |
 | |
| Residence | Jomo Kenyatta St, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia |
| Appointer | House of Peoples' Representatives |
| Formation | 2015 |
| Website | www |
The current Attorney General is Gedeon Timotheos since 2 November 2021.
Overview edit
The Attorney General position was created in 2015 when the Ministry of Justice transformed into the Federal Attorney General Office regulated by the Council of Ministers' Proclamation No.260/2012. Under cited Federal Attorney General Proclamation No.943/2016, Attorney General is the head of Federal Attorney General appointed by the House of Peoples' Representatives (HPR) and the deputy Attorney General is appointed by the Prime Minister.[1] The Federal Attorney General is located in Addis Ababa and empowered to ensure law and order by investigating criminal investigations.[2] Under the legal framework, the office of Attorney General is fully political appointee and superficial part of cabinet fully responsible for the head of the government. The office performs two major functions; giving legal advice to the government and prosecuting crimes. The Ethiopian constitution does not mention the Attorney General is fully independent, instead it is accountable for political institution.[3]
The first Attorney General was Getachew Ambaye, who previously served as the minister of Justice and the predecessor administrative of the Attorney General in 2016 until 2018.[4] Former EPRDF veteran Berhanu Tsegaye had served as the second Attorney General until 2020. He was succeeded by Adanech Abebe, who served as acting attorney general from 12 March to 18 August.[5] The current attorney general is Gedeon Timotheos since 2 November 2021. He was a priest of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.[6][7]
List of officers edit
- Getachew Ambaye (18 May 2016 – 16 October 2018)
- Berhanu Tsegaye (16 October 2018 – 11 March 2020)
- Adanech Abebe (12 March 2020 – 18 August 2020) (acting)
- Gedeon Timotheos (2 November 2021 – present)
References edit
- ^ "FEDERAL NEGARIT GAZETTE" (PDF). 25 December 2023. p. 2.
- ^ Goshu, Solomon (2015-11-26). "Establishing The Attorney-General: Reconstructing The Justice System Or Heralding A New One? | The Reporter | Latest Ethiopian News Today". www.thereporterethiopia.com. Retrieved 2023-12-25.
- ^ Abebe, Adem K. "What Ethiopia needs is an independent prosecution". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2023-12-25.
- ^ "House appoints Getachew Ambaye as Attorney General". Walta. 25 December 2023.
- ^ Fortune, (Addis). "Adanech Abebe to Swear Oath as Attorney General". Retrieved 2023-12-25.
- ^ Girma, Kaleab (2020-08-24). "New Attorney General Picks Fighting Disinformation as First task". Addis Insight. Retrieved 2023-12-25.
- ^ Admin (2020-08-18). "Ethiopian PM appoint new Defense Minister, Addis Ababa Mayor removed". Borkena Ethiopian News. Retrieved 2023-12-25.