Criminal Law

Ethiopia: Cassation Court Rejects Sua Sponte Reclassification of Charges in Infanticide Case
Explore Cassation Case No. 250285, where Ethiopia’s highest court ruled on the proper procedure for criminal charges. The case involved a mother accused of infanticide. The Cassation Court found fundamental legal error in lower courts sua sponte reclassifying the charge from Article 544/1 (infanticide during labor pains) to 544/2 (homicide), thereby declining jurisdiction without hearing the prosecution’s evidence or the defendant’s plea. The ruling underscores the prosecutor’s authority, the court’s impartiality, and the defendant’s right to presumption of innocence and defense.

Explore Cassation Case No. 253740, a landmark decision affirming the presumption of innocence and the right to bail in Ethiopia. Understand the court’s interpretation of constitutional and procedural law.