THE RIGHT TO BE ASSISTED BY LEGAL

COUNSEL IN CRIMINAL CASEAND ITS

APPLICATION: IN CASE OF GAMO AREA HIGH
COURT

ABDU ABATE HUSEN

School Of Law
Arba Minch University

December, 2018

i
THE RIGHT TO BE ASSISTED BY LEGAL COUNSEL IN
CRIMINAL CASE AND ITS APPLICATION; THE CASE
OF GAMO AREA HIGH COURT

THESIS

SUBMITED IN PARITIAL FULIFULIMENT OF THE

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGEREE OF BACHELOR OF
LAW (LLB) AT THE SHOOL OF LAW, ARBA MINCH
UNIVERSITY

BY:

ABDU ABATE HUSEN

ADVISOR

YEMEGNU MESELE DEJENE (LLB)

School of Law,

Arba Minch University

December, 2018

ii
 Thesis Approval

The thesis titled “The Right to Be Assisted by Legal Counsel in Criminal Case and Its
Application the case of Gamo Area High Court” by Mr. .Abdu Abate is approved for the degree
of Bachelor of Laws.

Board of Examiners

Name Signature

Advisor YEMEGNU. M __________________

Internal Examiner _______________ __________________

Date

__________________

iii
 Declaration

I hereby declare that the thesis comprise my own work .In compliance with widely accepted
practice, I have duly acknowledged and referenced all material used in his work .While
submitting this thesis in the partial fulfillment of the requirement for the Bachelor of law (LLB)
to School of Law Arba Minch University I declare that the thesis is my work and that it has not
previously submitted for assessment to another university or another qualification.

____________________

Signature

ABDU ABATE

Name

RSSH/006/06

University Id Number

_________________________

Date

iv
 . ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
First and the most I thank to Almighty God and I would like to express my deep gratitude for all
those who have been in my side in conducting this paper especially those who are materially and
moral support Abdurrahman Mohammed and antenahe esubalwe and adimasu akalu. Especially I
would like thank full for my advisor Yemegnu M(LLB) Next I would to thank my family who
are on my side at every step of my life. Finally I want to extend appreciation the staff member of
judge of Gamo Area High Court, Public Prosecutor of High Court for their good assistance.

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Table of Contents Page

Title page…………………………………………………………………………………...

Thesis approval…………………………………………………………………………….

Declaration
page………………………………………………………………………………………

Acknowledgement…………………………………………………………………………………
…..

Table of content
………………………………………………………………………………………

List of abbreviation
…………………………………………………………………………………….

Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………………
…….

Chapter One: Introduction

1.1. Background of the

study…………………………………………………………………………….1

1.2. Statement of the

problem…………………………………………………………………………….

1.3. Objective of the

study………………………………………………………………………………..

1.3.1General
objective………………………………………………………………………………….

1.3.2 Specific objective

Sign……………………………………………………………………………

1.4 Significance of the

study………………………………………………………………………………

1.5. Research
questions……………………………………………………………………………………

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 1.6. Scope of the
study…………………………………………………………………………………….

1.7 .Research
methodology………………………………………………………………………………..

1.7.1. Data
Source……………………………………………………………………………………..

1.7.2. Data collection

method…………………………………………………………………………

1.7 .3 .Sampling
Technique…………………………………………………………………………..

1.7.4. Data
Analysis…………………………………………………………………………………..

1.8. Limitation of the

study……………………………………………………………………………….

1.9. Organization of the

study…………………………………………………………………………..

Chapter two: General Concept and historical development the right to legal assistance

2.1. Definition of the right to assistance of legal

counsel………………………………………………..

2.2. Philosophical justification of right to

counsel………………………………………………………..

2.3. Historical Development of the

right…………………………………………………………………..

2.4. Legal instrument that regulate the right to legal

counsel…………………………………………….

2.4.1. International instruments (laws)

………………………………………………………………..

2.4.2. Continental instrument (laws)

…………………………………………………………………….

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 2.4.3 .National
laws………………………………………………………………………………………

2.5. Ethiopia law with regard to right to

counsel………………………………………………………….

2.6 .Nature and scope of assistance

counsel………………………………………………………………

2.6.1. Nature of assistance

………………………………………………………………………….

2.6.2. The scope of assistance of

counsel…………………………………………………………..

2.7. Development of the right in

Ethiopia……………………………………………………………….

Chapter Three: Data Presentation and analysis

3.1The scope of the right of legal counsel under FDRE constitution

…………………………

3.2 .the kind of person to provided legal counsel under FDRE

constitution…………………..

3.3 The stage of criminal proceeding the right legal counsel

start…………………………….. .

3.4. The practice in GAHC and remedies for the violation of the right to legal
counsel…………..

3.5 Being informed the

right………………………………………………………………………..

3.6. Ground for appointing counsel for indigent

……………………………………………………

3.7. System for providing counsel

……………………………………………………………….

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 3.8. Remedies for the violation of the
right………………………………………………………..

CHAPTER FOUR:

4.1. Conclusion……………………………………………………………………..
4.2.
Recommendation………………………………………………………………………..

Reference…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………

Appendix……………………………………………………………………………………………
.

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 Abbreviations/ Acronyms

AAUFL Addis Ababa University Faculty of Law

ACHR Africa court of Human right

ACHPR Africa Court of human and People Right

CPC Criminal Procedure Code

ECHR European Court of Human Right

FDRE Federal Democratic Republic Of Ethiopia

GAHC Gamo Area High Court

HRC Human Right Committee

I CCPR International Convention on Civil and political right

UN United Nation

USA United States of America

Abstract

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The right to legal counsel in criminal justice proceeding is recognized under the FDRE
constitution under art 20(5).this right also recognized under international bill of right such as
ICCPR art 14(3)(d) .the rationale behind granting this right is that ,when the state and
criminal defendant confront at criminal court proceeding ,there exist certainly an inequality
of arms ,because the state is powerful, as it has necessary resource ,trained man power and
sufficient fiancé to deal with the issue ,but most criminal defendant are seen relatively ,they
are week and ignorant of the science of the law and their right ,have no competitive resource
when brought in criminal tribunal that has power to take their life or liberty.
Moreover ,disparity is observed among jurisdiction is recognition and implementation of the
right to legal counsel in criminal charge ,the source of the disparity is that some objective and
subjective aspects the right are stated in general term hence exposed to interpretation .issue as
to the type of person who need be represented by legal counsel ,the type of crime which call for
the participation of legal counsel and the stage of criminal proceeding at which the right to
legal counsel start to operate need interpretation .when the way these point are interpreted
and implemented in particular in GAHC are analyzed ,using as bench mark the international
law and recognized good practice of certain jurisdiction ,the sate provision for legal counsel
for indigent criminal defendant is narrowly defined to specific criminal case leaving out many
serious crime out of the state of the scope the sate legal aid system .it also incomplete in
practice which does not cover all chain of criminal justice process .As result, it is not enough
to screen out the innocent from real perpetrator and to protect the right to fair trail of the
accused.

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