The Rigt to Legal Counsel in Ethiopia, A Case Analysis in Oromia

The right to legal counsel is one of the fundamental human rights of a person charged with a criminal offense. It is the main element of the right to a fair trial. This right is recognized under international bill of human rights, the FDRE constitution and the constitution of the National Regional States of Oromia. The aim of the right is to protect the criminal defendant from the powerful state and balance the inequality of their bargaining power. Many points in relation to the right, are not clear from both legal documents.For example,the stage of the criminal justice proceedings at which this right starts to operate and the sorts of crimes for which the right can be claimed are not clearly stated. Furthermore this right is highly dependent up on some other determinant factors. This book therefore, assesses the laws and ongoing practices in Ethiopia in general and in state of Oromia in particular in relation to the above stated points, using as a benchmark, international standards and recognized good practices of some jurisdictions. It is the belief of the writer that the problems discussed are also of many states and if read, a good lesson can be derived from.