TOT Training on Judicial Independence and Training Module Validation Workshop

A three-day workshop on Judicial Independence and Training Module Validation was held in Addis Ababa from May 23–25, 2022. The workshop was organized by the LA-DEM-Med project. The goal of the workshop is to introduce the final draft of the training manual, train the trainers on how to use the manual in a more interactive way that facilitates adult learning, and collect feedback from the participants. The training was given to the participants from three different institutions, namely judges from the Oromia Supreme Court; trainers from the Oromia Legal Research and Training Institute; and law lecturers from Oromia State University.

The training was given by Dr. Prosper S. Maguchu, Lecturer of Law and Project Manager at Vrije Universiteit Amstredam, Mr. Shambel Hordofa, trainer at Oromia Legal Research and Training Institute and Mr. Ali Berisso, Lecturer of Law at Oromia State University.

The first day of the workshop was focused on introducing the training manual to the participants and its implementation. The second day was spent on presentations and discussions on participatory and interactive training methods. The third day was dedicated to the evaluation process that can be tailored according to the features of the different judicial cultures, country specific contexts, and individual and institutional needs, having as common ground the adult professionals in the judiciary.

Finally, closing remarks were made by Dr. Geremew Huluka and Dr. Muluneh Hidato, President of Oromia State University and Vice President for Academic Affairs, respectively, following the certificate giving ceremony to the participants.

As a closing remark, Dr. Geremew said that our country is in the process of transformation to democracy. One pillar of democracy is the rule of law, and the independence of the judiciary is a basic element of it. In Ethiopia, judicial independence is at its infant stage, and it has no good history. We must work hard to ensure it, and this type of training is critical and needs to be continuously given. The training manual developed is not the final one; rather, it needs to be developed further, revisited, and supported with real cases. He also thanked Dr. Prosper S. Maguch and all those who organized the TOT training.