Establishes three new departments
The Office of Attorney General (OAG) has ordered the closure of all regional offices. Prosecutors working in those offices must either apply to the head office or join Regional Justice Bureaus to continue employment.
“We couldn’t find a reason for the branches to be open in the first place,” Taye Dendea, Public Relations Director told Capital. “The regional prosecutors previously represented the federal government, however there are not many cases so the main office can handle the job.”
The constitution delegates responsibility to regional courts to entertain federal maters. Cases that would be handled by First Instance Courts are held at high courts and Supreme Courts hear higher court cases. Most of prosecutors from the closed offices are apparently returning to the head office. The Office didn’t decide yet if it is going hire new prosecutors as it did previously.
As part of the reform, the Office established two new Directorates and one office.
The Crime Informants and Witness Protections Directorate is being established after the office found out that under-reported crimes are mainly caused by lack of protection.
“We pay special attention to protecting witness and informants which ensures the rule of law,” said Taye. The directorate is being established and no director has been appointed yet.
Mezmur Yared will direct a new department established to raise awareness and implement federal laws. “At times federal laws are unknown both by the public and the judicial stakeholders,” said Taye.
The Office of the Human Rights Protection is the third new directorate. It will be led by Yibekal Gizaw, former director of Human Rights at the office. The directorate is being established because the government wants to pay more attention to human rights.
The office announced that it will undertake major reform to improve the justice sector, months ago and such moves are said to be part of the reform.
