Solomon Areda Waktolla

Solomon Areda Waktolla was born on April 29, 1975 from his father Areda Waktolla Hordofa and his mother Kibbi Bedhane Molu, in the town of Garba Guracha, Salalee, North Shewa zone of Oromia regional state in Ethiopia. He grew up in an extended family with twelve of his sisters and brothers. His hardworking parents contributed a meaningful role in supporting, guiding and shaping the person he is today. Being raised in a devoted Orthodox Christian household, Waktolla was influenced by the Christian faith and values. In addition, growing up in an extraordinary rich cultural traditions of the Oromo society that values inclusiveness and kindness, gave Waktolla a different outlook of life. From an early age, Waktolla stood out as the smartest kid in the class. He was a gifted student and regularly received first grade honors from school. He attended his elementary and high school education in a public school in the town of Garba Guracha. He then attended Addis Ababa University and obtained a bachelor's degree in Law in 1997. In addition, he holds a Master of law (LLM) from Harvard Law School and Master of public Administration (MPA) from Harvard Kennedy School of Government.[5] At Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Waktolla completed the fellowship of Edward S. Mason Program in public Policy and Management.[6] He also completed an LLM in International Economic Law at the University of Amsterdam.[7] He obtained HIID Merit Scholarship award from Harvard University. He is a member of the Harvard Alumni Association and currently serving as Harvard University Contact Person in Ethiopia.[8]

Waktolla is a fellow of Golda Meir Mount Carmel International Training Center[6] and an alumnus of The Center for American and International Law.[9]

After graduating from the law school, Waktolla began working as an assistant judge in the Oromia Region Supreme Court. After his clerkship, Waktolla was appointed as a judge of the Regional High Court in West Shewa Zone of Oromia region in Ambo Town. During his years in the Ambo High Court, he served in both Civil and Criminal divisions of the court. In 2001, Waktolla started his judgeship at the Federal First Instance Court of Ethiopia.[2] From February 2003 to January 2009, Waktolla served as a Federal High Court Judge and sat in Commercial, Criminal and Labor Divisions of the Federal High Court. During his six-years tenure at the Federal High Court, Waktolla presided over the historical genocide[10] case where the former Ministers and other Higher Officials that served during the Derg regime were prosecuted for genocide and crimes against humanity. In January 2009, the Ethiopian House of Parliament appointed Waktolla to serve as the Vice President of the Federal First Instance Court of Ethiopia.[11] His notable achievement while serving as a Vice President includes the successful implementation of the reform packages introduced in the Ethiopian Judicial System. He was actively involved in the Ethiopian Court Reform Program through participating in the Comprehensive Justice System Reform Program Base Line Study. He also partook in the implementation, evaluation and coordination of these reform activities.[12]

In December 2014, Waktolla entered the private legal practice and established his own firm named Solomon Areda Law Office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Solomon Areda Law office offered a diversified expertise on various areas of the law; ranging from dealing in complex litigation and arbitration, corporate and commercial transactions, banking and finance, labor and employment, intellectual property, energy and infrastructure, mining and natural resources, construction law and Tax law. Waktolla's duties mainly include commercial litigation; advising clients on international commercial arbitrations; providing legal opinions on various aspects of commercial law; advising clients on matters relating to investment and regulatory compliance by foreign companies operating in Ethiopia; providing legal advice on matters relating to the regulatory framework of the financial sector in Ethiopia; conducting appropriate due diligence works and advising clients on investment projects relating to Mining and natural resources, Energy, infrastructure and public private partnerships.[13] He advised international law firms referring work into Ethiopia as well as global multi-nationals seeking to do business in Ethiopia and other African Countries[14] by employing innovative and pragmatic strategies. Within a short period, Solomon Areda Law Office became one of Ethiopia's leading corporate law firms handling; commercial litigation, international commercial arbitrations and many other legal transactions in investment and regulatory compliance serving both local and international clients. Waktolla represented very giant local and international companies on multi-million commercial disputes before Federal Courts and Arbitration Tribunals.[2]

1. The Ethiopian Government in collaboration with UNDP hired an international consultant,Center for International Legal Cooperation CILC), to conduct a study in order to identify the shortcomings of the Ethiopian legal system. In this study, Waktolla worked with the group of International Experts and produced a Comprehensive Justice Sector Reform Program Base Line Study Report. The Ethiopian legal reform was initiated based on this study.[12]

2. Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute the US based non-profit organization, organized The Way Forward Project[7] to conduct a study analyzing opportunities and challenges facing policy makers in six African Countries including Ethiopia as they work to develop system of Care that serve children in and through their families. Justice Waktolla, worked with a group of international Experts in framing the strategies for developing the legal and government infrastructure necessary to support child welfare systems which promote individualized best interest determinations and family-based care. The Way Forward Project was released at US State Department Summit held on 8 November 2011 at George C. Marshall Center in the presence of the former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and other officials from the US and other parts of the world.[7]

3. Waktolla engaged in coordinating various projects with NGOs and Government offices geared towards promoting child justice through child friendly courts. He presented a research paper on 'the creation of child friendly courts in Ethiopia' on the UN Conference on the Convention of the Rights of the Child held in Geneva November 2009.[15]

4. At Harvard Law School Waktolla, as a required written work, authored legal policy research on Land governance regime of Ethiopia.[16] Ethiopia is one of the African countries that attracted foreign investors in agricultural land investment. However, these land investments has led to widespread displacement of the local people and massive human right violations. The government leased these lands to foreign investors by displacing small scale land holders, pastoralists and other indigenous people, who depend on land for their survival.[16] The research focuses on how to redesign the land governance system of Ethiopia by examining a wide range of other countries' collaborative arrangements between large-scale investors and local small-scale farmers and finally proposes what alternative inclusive business models and policy frame works to be adapted in the Ethiopia's context to address the current challenges.[16]

Deputy Chief Justice Waktolla was appointed to the membership of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) for a term of six years as of December 2017 to serve as an arbitrator.[17] The PCA was the first permanent intergovernmental organization to provide a forum for the resolution of international disputes through arbitration and other peaceful means. The PCA is established by the Convention for the Pacific Settlement of International Disputes, concluded at the Hague 1899 during the first Hague Peace Conference to facilitate arbitration and other forms of dispute resolution between states.[18]

On November 1, 2018, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced the nomination of Meaza Ashenafi and Solomon Areda Waktolla to the Chief justice and Deputy Chief Justice position of the federal supreme court of Ethiopia respectively in a live, nationwide television broadcast from the Ethiopian Parliament. The House of People's Representatives (HPR) approved the appointment of Meaza Ashenafi and Solomon Areda Waktolla as Chief Justice and Deputy Chief Justice of the Federal Supreme Court respectively[19] by a unanimous vote. Some of the parliamentarians who spoke during the nomination have also praised the Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed for his picks based on meritocracy.[2] Deputy Chief Justice Waktolla, serving alongside newly appointed Chief Justice Meaza Ashenafi, is engaged with reforming and modernizing the Ethiopian Judiciary since coming into office.[20] He is also presiding over one of the cassation benches of the Federal Supreme court.[21] Furthermore, he is serving as a Deputy chair of the Council of the Constitutional Inquiry of Ethiopia.[22]