Deputy PM champions harmonization of Ethiopia’s formal and customary justice systems

Addis Ababa, January 24, 2026 (FMC) — Deputy Prime Minister Temesgen Truneh has championed the harmonization of Ethiopia’s formal and customary justice systems, emphasizing their integration as essential for sustainable peace and national development during the inauguration of the International Conference on the Rule of Law and Alternative Dispute Resolution Mechanisms for Sustainable Peace and Development yesterday.

The event was jointly organized by the Amhara Regional Supreme Court and Bahir Dar University.
In a statement shared on social media, the Deputy Prime Minister Tenesgen noted that while Ethiopia has made significant progress in modernizing formal justice institutions, the majority of the population continues to resolve disputes through traditional mechanisms, which have yet to be fully recognized within the national justice framework.

He stressed the need to establish a framework in which formal and customary justice systems operate side by side, harmonized, mutually reinforcing, and principle-based, ensuring justice that is accessible, rights-based, and widely accepted across communities.

According to the Deputy Prime Minister, achieving this requires integrating traditional justice systems with modern legal principles, granting them proper legal recognition, updating their procedures, and aligning them with the broader national justice reforms currently underway.

He added that when properly recognized and strengthened, traditional dispute resolution mechanisms can alleviate the caseload burden on formal courts while delivering outcomes that enjoy greater community acceptance and local ownership.

Deputy PM Temesgen concluded that the conference is intended to chart a clear path toward effective synergy between formal and customary justice systems, supporting a justice system that is modern, culturally rooted, inclusive, swift, and trusted — essential for sustainable peace, development, and national unity.