This Country Profile provides a basic overview of the legal history and institutional structures of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (Ityop'iya Federalawi Demokrasiyawi Ripeblik), based on research produced by GlobaLex at NYU Law School and the Library of Congress. Under Ethiopia's Constitution, Islamic law (sharīʿa or fiqh) has some legal status.
Country Background
Ethiopia is a landlocked country located in Eastern Africa. It is bounded by Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Eritrea, and Kenya. The capital of Ethiopia is Addis Ababa, which also serves as the headquarters of the African Union, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, and many of the global NGOs focused on Africa. The country's official languages are Amharic (official national language), Somali (official working language of the State of Sumale), Oromo (official working language in the State of Oromiya), Tigrigna/Tigrinya (official working language of the State of Tigray), and Afar (official working language of the State of Afar). The country’s population in 2017 was approximately 105.4 million. Ethiopia is a predominantly Christian country, with about 63% of the population Christian and 34% Muslim.
Constitution & Legal Structure
Ethiopia is referred to as a federal parliamentary republic, in which sovereignty belongs to the people and the Constitution is the supreme law of the land. Ethiopia was never colonized, and as such, never had to gain sovereignty. The current Constitution of Ethiopia was adopted in 1994. The system of government is based on principles of separation and checks and balances and has three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. The legal system of Ethiopia is a civil law system.
Constitutional Status of Islamic Law
In matters of personal status, Islamic law has some legal status in Ethiopia. It applies only to Muslims living in Ethiopia.
Jurisdiction(s) of Islamic Law
Islamic law has official jurisdiction of operation in Ethiopia, namely through the sharīʿa courts. These courts deal primarily with matters of personal status for the Muslim population in Ethiopia. A more complete overview of these courts can be found in the GlobaLex summary here.
Dominant School of Islamic Law
Ethiopia has no official school of Islamic law. The majority of the Muslim population in the country is Sunnī.
Sources of Law for Legal Research
Official Publications
Unofficial Databases
References:
For an extended list of legal resources for this country, see the Library of Congress’s Research Guide, and for a narrative review, see the GlobaLex Foreign Law Research Guide (most updated version, where available). The Constitution is available in the LOC Guide in its original language and at Constitute in English translation. For full versions of past constitutions, amendments, and related legislation, see HeinOnline World Constitutions Illustrated or Oxford Constitutions of the World [subscription required for each].