Ethiopia gets a top seat at the premier continental forum of lawyers and lawyers’ association in Africa.
In a general annual assembly held in Livingstone, Zambia from 5-8 July 2023, Tewodros Getachew, Interim President of Ethiopian Federal Bar Association (EFBA), was elected as the vice president of Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU).
Tewodros who now leads the EFBA, an association that was formed early last year under article 57 of the federal advocacy service licensing and administration proclamation 1249/2021, as the first statutory bar association in Ethiopia, has now raised the country’s flag high by taking one of the top seats at PALU, for the first time in close to two decades.
PALU’s Vice president elect received nominations from the East African Law Society, and is the first to have such a huge position to lead the continent whilst representing Ethiopia since the formation of PALU in 2002 by African bar leaders and eminent lawyers, to reflect the aspirations and concerns of the African people and to promote and defend their shared interests.
The regional society that includes seven countries has over 28,000 professional members, and one would have to date 21 years back, to when an Ethiopian had held a significant position in the union courtesy of prominent lawyer, Getachew Kitaw who was elected to serve as Secretary General for the Union. Over the last 18 years, that was however not the case as Ethiopia did not have any significant position on the continental lawyers association.
As Tewodros indicates, PALU is the biggest platform on the sector in the continent and its influence has grown in the past decade at the global stage.
“Ethiopia was out of the top leadership for close to two decades. As is known, taking the leadership position would have multiple advantages for the country and the sector in general,” he told Capital.
“Becoming an executive member would have an advantage in taking stake on policy decision at the international stage and would also magnify the role and influence of Ethiopian professionals at the continental level,” the EFBA leader explained whilst also echoing that it would encourage young and upcoming lawyers.
EFBA’s Interim President stated similar statutory bar associations have close to half a decade history in other African countries while the Ethiopian one remains very young in contrast to its other African peers.
There were several struggles in establishing the statutory bar association, for instance, there was lack of interest in the previous political leadership which made the formation of the association very challenging up until the 1249/2021 proclamation, which was ratified about two years ago.
“As a very young association, becoming an executive member of the continental union is a big achievement and it is also vital to disseminate our voice on the international stage besides promoting EFBA,” Tewodros, one of the young but prominent lawyers in the country explained.
According to the proclamation, the statutory bar association would have multiple responsibilities and powers including; contributing to the advancement and development of quality of law education, rule of law, enforcement of human rights and the profession of advocacy service and the Ethiopian legal system as a whole, conduct studies with regard to advocacy service, implement the study and submit the same to the concerned body and monitor the implementation; and accredit those institutions who offer continued legal training.
PALU, which was formed 21 years back sought at its core to reflect the aspirations and concerns of the African people and to promote and defend their shared interests.
Its membership comprises of the continent’s over five regional lawyers’ associations, over 54 national lawyers’ associations and over 1,000 individual lawyers spread across Africa and in the Diaspora, working together to advance the law and the legal profession, rule of law, good governance, human and peoples’ rights and socio-economic development of the African continent.