Federal courts to entertain charges of domestic violence as urgent type of case

Addis Ababa, April 9, 2020 (FBC) –The Ethiopian Supreme Court has made a decision for federal courts to entertain charges of domestic violence as an urgent type of case.

The decision was made taking into account the possibility of an increase in domestic violence during the stay at home period to curb the spread of COVID-19, according to Meaza Ashenafi, President of the Supreme Court.

As part of efforts to prevent spread of the virus, federal courts were closed partially since March 18, 2020.

However, urgent cases including cases that affect life, liberty and public safety are being entertained by courts.

Ethiopia has so far 55 confirmed cases of coronavirus, with two deaths and four recoveries.

The country yesterday declared a five-month state of emergency to fight COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the latest figures from Johns Hopkins University, more than 1.4 million cases of coronavirus have been registered globally.

More than 88,000 people have died and more than 330,000 have recovered from the virus.