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Ethiopian Accused’s Right to Speedy Trials: the Case of North Gondar Zone

Sileshi Walelign Kebede

Not only should justice be efficient and effective, but it should also be timely, meaning that the trial should be concluded as quickly as possible. The right to a speedy trial is one of the fundamental rights of accused persons under international and national law. Delays in the criminal justice system jeopardize justice in general, since quick trials are linked to better outcomes. It has a significant impact on the accused's socioeconomic and family rights. A defendant in a criminal case has a right to a speedy trial under the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopian constitution even though it provides no definition for it. This article is designed to explore the practical implementation of the right to speedy trials of accused persons in Ethiopia, specifically in the North Gondar Zone. In some instances, the accused may be released free after so many days passing in jail and our criminal procedure and criminal code have no provisions for compensating these kinds of individuals. The main objective of the study is to find out whether or not there is an effective implementation of the Criminal Code and Criminal Procedure Code on the right to speedy trial rights of accused persons. Thus, the paper is expected to show the underlying legal, institutional and socio-cultural challenges that hamper effective implementation of these laws. In order to achieve the objectives of the study, data be collected from oral and written sources. The qualitative methods applied to collecting data. Thus, key informant interviews with high court judges, woreda justice and court office heads, judges and prosecutors of the study area. Also, observation of dead files was conducted.