Enforcement of the Principle of Legality in Ethiopia after Ethiopian Revenue & Customs Authority v Ato Daniel Mekonnen

Abstract

Abstract
The principle of legality, that safeguards the freedoms and liberties of individuals in the
administration of criminal justice, is being challenged by the increasing tendencies of
administrative agencies to attach criminal “teeth†to the myriads of administrative
regulations and directives. The proliferation in Ethiopia of such administrative
regulations and directives in the last few decades has been worrisome. This article
posits that delegation of criminal law-making power to administrative organs counter
the persuasive rationales for delegation of law-making power for that would defy the
principle of legality. Conceiving the principle of legality as primarily relating to notice
and fair warning, the article shows that the principle of legality is not properly enforced
in Ethiopia.