Solomon Areda

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This article is about a person whose name includes a patronymic. The article properly refers to the person by their given name, Solomon, and not as Areda.
Solomon Areda Waktolla
ሰለሞን አረዳ ዋቅቶላ
Born
Garba Guracha, Salalee, Ethiopia
EducationHarvard University (MPA, LLM),
Amsterdam University (LLM),
Addis Ababa University (LLB)
OfficeVice-President of the Federal Supreme Court

Solomon Areda Waktolla (Amharic: ሰለሞን አረዳ ዋቅቶላ, Oromo: Solomoon Araddaa Waqtolaa) is an Ethiopian lawyer who is the current Deputy Chief Justice/Vice President of the Federal Supreme Court of Ethiopia.[1] Solomon is a prominent[2] Ethiopian lawyer[3] with 23 years of experience in the practice of law, public administration and policy research who is committed for seeing[4] a free and independent judiciary in Ethiopia.[5] Solomon served in the Ethiopian Judiciary mainly as a judge for 18 years on different levels of the court in both regional and federal positions.[6] In addition, he has been appointed to the membership of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) at The Hague, Netherlands for a six-year term to serve as an Arbitrator.[7]

Early life and education

Solomon Areda Waktolla was born in the town of Garba Guracha, Salalee, North Shewa zone of Oromia regional state in Ethiopia.[8]

He attended his elementary and high school education in a public school in the town of Garba Guracha. He then attended Addis Ababa University and obtained a bachelor's degree in Law in 1997.[citation needed] He received a Masters of Laws degree (LL.M) from Harvard Law School and Master of public Administration (MPA) from Harvard Kennedy School of Government.[9] He obtained HIID Merit Scholarship award from Harvard University. At Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Solomon completed the fellowship of Edward S. Mason Program in public Policy and Management.[10] In addition, he received Masters of Laws (LL.M) in International Economic Law at the University of Amsterdam.[11]

He is a member of the Harvard Alumni Association and currently serving as Harvard University Contact Person in Ethiopia.[12] Solomon is a fellow of Golda Meir Mount Carmel International Training Center[10] and an alumnus of the Center for American and International Law.[13]

Judicial career

After graduating from the law school, Solomon began working as an assistant judge in the Oromia Region Supreme Court. After his clerkship, Solomon was appointed as a judge of the Regional High Court in West Shewa Zone of Oromia region in Ambo Town. During his years in the Ambo High Court, he served in both Civil and Criminal divisions of the court. In 2001, Solomon started his judgeship at the Federal First Instance Court of Ethiopia.[3] From February 2003 to January 2009, Solomon served as a Federal High Court Judge and sat in Commercial, Criminal and Labor Divisions of the Federal High Court.

During his six-years tenure at the Federal High Court, Justice Solomon presided over the historical Ethiopian Red Terror genocide trial[14] where the former Ministers and other Higher Officials that served during the Derg regime were prosecuted for genocide and crimes against humanity.[15]

In January 2009, the Ethiopian House of Parliament appointed Solomon to serve as the Vice President of the Federal First Instance Court of Ethiopia.[16]

Private legal practice

After graduating from Harvard law School, in December 2014 Solomon started the private legal practice, establishing his own firm named Solomon Areda Law Office in Addis Ababa. Solomon Areda Law office offered a diversified expertise on various areas of the law; ranging from dealing in complex litigation and arbitration, corporate and commercial transactions, banking and finance, labor and employment, intellectual property, energy and infrastructure, mining and natural resources, construction law and Tax law.[8] He advised both local, as well as global multi-nationals[6] seeking to do business in Ethiopia and other African Countries[17][18][3] Solomon also represented local and international companies on multi-million commercial disputes before Federal Courts and Arbitration Tribunals.

Membership of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA)

Deputy Chief Justice Solomon was appointed to the membership of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) for a term of six years as of December 2017 to serve as an arbitrator.[19] The PCA was the first permanent intergovernmental organization to provide a forum for the resolution of international disputes through arbitration and other peaceful means. The PCA is established by the Convention for the Pacific Settlement of International Disputes, concluded at The Hague 1899 during the first Hague Peace Conference to facilitate arbitration and other forms of dispute resolution between states.[20]

Policy research

The Ethiopian Government in collaboration with UNDP hired an international consultant, Center for International Legal Cooperation CILC), to conduct a study in order to identify the shortcomings of the Ethiopian legal system. In this study, Solomon worked with the group of International Experts and produced a Comprehensive Justice Sector Reform Program Base Line Study Report. The Ethiopian legal reform was initiated based on this study.[21]

Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute the US based non-profit organization, organized The Way Forward Project[11] to conduct a study analyzing opportunities and challenges facing policy makers in six African Countries including Ethiopia as they work to develop system of Care that serve children in and through their families. Justice Solomon, worked with a group of international Experts in framing the strategies for developing the legal and government infrastructure necessary to support child welfare systems which promote individualized best interest determinations and family-based care. The Way Forward Project was released at US State Department Summit held on 8 November 2011 at George C. Marshall Center in the presence of the former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and other officials from the US and other parts of the world.[11]

Solomon engaged in coordinating various projects with NGOs and Government offices geared towards promoting child justice through child friendly courts. He presented a research paper on 'the creation of child friendly courts in Ethiopia' on the UN Conference on the Convention of the Rights of the Child held in Geneva November 2009.[22]

At Harvard Law School Solomon, as a required written work, authored legal policy research on Land governance regime of Ethiopia.[23] Ethiopia is one of the African countries that attracted foreign investors in agricultural land investment. However, these land investments has led to widespread displacement of the local people and massive human right violations. The government leased these lands to foreign investors by displacing small scale land holders, pastoralists and other indigenous people, who depend on land for their survival.[23] The research focuses on how to redesign the land governance system of Ethiopia by examining a wide range of other countries' collaborative arrangements between large-scale investors and local small-scale farmers and finally proposes what alternative inclusive business models and policy frame works to be adapted in the Ethiopia's context to address the current challenges.[23]

Appointment to the position of Deputy Chief Justice

On November 1, 2018, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced the nomination of Meaza Ashenafi and Solomon Areda Waktolla to the Chief justice and Deputy Chief Justice position of the Federal Supreme Court of Ethiopia respectively in the Ethiopian Parliament. The House of People's Representatives (HPR) approved their appointment by unanimous vote.[24] Some of the parliamentarians who spoke during the nomination have also praised the Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed for his picks based on meritocracy.[3] Deputy Chief Justice Solomon, serving alongside newly appointed Chief Justice Meaza Ashenafi, is engaged with reforming[25] and modernizing [26] the Ethiopian Judiciary since coming into office.[27] He is also presiding over one of the cassation benches of the Federal Supreme court.[28] Furthermore, he is serving as a Deputy chair of the Council of the Constitutional Inquiry of Ethiopia.[29]

References

  1. ^ "Muudamtoonni Mana Murtii Waliigalaa Federaalaa haqa hunda qaqqabsiisuuf ni hojjenna jedhan" (in Oromo). BBC AFAAN OROMOO. Archived from the original on August 22, 2019. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  2. ^ "House elects president, vice president for Supreme Court". Thereporterethiopia.com. The Reporter Ethiopia Media & Communications Center. November 2018.
  3. ^ a b c d "News: Another Historic Day as Ethiopia Supreme Court Gets First Female President, and a Prominent Lawyer as Vice President". Addis Standard. Addis Abeba. November 1, 2018. Archived from the original on April 24, 2019. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  4. ^ "በፍርድ ቤት ላይ እምነት ማጣት በመንግሥት ላይ እምነት ማጣትን ያስከትላል፡፡ ያለጠንካራ ፍርድ ቤት ስለሀገር ግንባታ ማሰብ አይቻልም" አቶ ሰለሞን አረዳ የፌዴራል ጠቅላይ ፍርድ ቤት ምክትል ፕሬዚደንት". ethiopiaobservatory.com. THE ETHIOPIA OBSERVATORY (TEO).
  5. ^ "የፌደራል ጠቅላይ ፍርድ ቤት ፕሬዚዳንት ወ/ሮ መዓዛ አሸናፊ እና ምክትል ፕሬዚዳንት አቶ ሰለሞን አረዳ ፍትህን ለሁሉም ለማድረስ እንደሚሰሩ ገለፁ" (in Amharic). BBC Amharic. November 2, 2018. Archived from the original on August 21, 2019. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  6. ^ a b "አቶ ሰለሞን አረዳ የፌዴራል ጠቅላይ ፍርድ ቤት ምክትል ፕሬዝዳንት ሆኑ". ena.et. Ethiopian News Agency.
  7. ^ "Members of the Court". Permanent Court of Arbitration. Archived from the original on August 27, 2016. Retrieved August 26, 2019 – via pca-cpa.org.
  8. ^ a b ""በፍርድ ቤት ላይ አለመተማመን አገዛዙ ላይ እምነት ማጣት ነው" – የፌዴራል ጠቅላይ ፍርድ ቤት ምክትል ፕሬዚዳንት አቶ ሰለሞን አረዳ". press.et. Ethiopian press Agency.
  9. ^ "Harvard Clubs". Harvard Alumni. Archived from the original on August 19, 2019. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  10. ^ a b "Linkedin".
  11. ^ a b c "The Way Forward Project Report" (PDF). Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute. November 2011. p. 149. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 26, 2016. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
  12. ^ "Alumni & Shared Interest Groups". africa.harvard.edu. Archived from the original on August 15, 2019. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
  13. ^ "Academy of American and International Law" (PDF). The Center for American and International Law. April 25, 2018. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 23, 2019. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  14. ^ "Haqaa fi Itoophiyaa: Maraammartoo 'Maa'ikalaawii' mootummoota sadanii". bbc.com. BBC AFAAN OROMO. September 10, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  15. ^ ""ምንም ወንጀል ተደብቆ አይቀርም፤ ከታሪክ ልንማር ይገባል ፤ ይሄ ተደጋጋሚ የማዕከላዊ የወንጀል አዙሪት ክሰተት በዚህ ትውልድ መቆም አለበት" አቶ ሰለሞን አረዳ የፌዴራል ጠቅላይ ፍርድ ቤት ምክትል ፕሬዚደንት". ethiopoint.com. ዘ-ሐበሻ (ZeHabesha).
  16. ^ Shewareged, Bruck (January 24, 2009). "Ethiopia Parliament approves presidents for supreme, high courts". The Reporter. Archived from the original on July 4, 2017. Retrieved August 26, 2019 – via nazret.com.
  17. ^ "Ethiopia appoints first woman Supreme Court president". Leadership for Christian Leaders.
  18. ^ "ወ/ሮ መአዛ አሸናፊ የመጀመርያዋ ሴት የጠቅላይ ፍርድ ቤት ፕሬዚዳንት ሆኑ". ሪፖርተር ጋዜጣ.
  19. ^ "Members of the Permanent Court of Arbitration" (PDF). pcs-cpa.org. Permanent Court of Arbitration. June 6, 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 15, 2019. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  20. ^ "About Permanent Court of Arbitration". pcs-cpa.org. Permanent Court of Arbitration. Archived from the original on April 24, 2019. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  21. ^ "Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Comprehensive Justice System Reform Program" (PDF). Ethiopian Legal Information Portal. February 2005. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 5, 2018. Retrieved August 26, 2019 – via www.lawethiopia.com.
  22. ^ "Convention on the Rights of the Child: From Moral Imperatives to Legal Obligations, In Search of Effective Remedies for Child Rights Violations" (PDF). Child Rights International Network. November 5, 2009. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 21, 2019. Retrieved August 26, 2019 – via archive.crin.org.
  23. ^ a b c Waktolla, Solomon Areda (2014). Alternative Models for the Current Agricultural Land Investment in Ethiopia. Harvard Law School – via Google Books.
  24. ^ "Women Power". Capital. November 5, 2018. Archived from the original on August 15, 2019. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  25. ^ "Reformation with Smiles". Addis Fortune.
  26. ^ "የፍትህ ሥርዓቱን የሚያሻሽሉ አሠራሮችን እየዘረጋ መሆኑን የፌዴራል ጠቅላይ ፍርድ ቤት ገለጸ". press.et. Ethiopian press Agency.
  27. ^ "Restoring Public's Trust on Justice System will be Priority: New Supreme Court President". Ethiopian News Agency. Addis Ababa. October 1, 2018. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  28. ^ "Justices Overrule Dividend Tax Imposed on Total Ethiopia". Addisfortune. Archived from the original on August 15, 2019. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
  29. ^ Abiye, Yonas (November 3, 2018). "Another woman at the helm". The Reporter. Archived from the original on August 15, 2019. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
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