Assessing the Laws Governing the Use of Force by the Federal Police of Ethiopia

Using force and firearms against person is one of the powers given to the police in order to achieve the legitimate objectives. While exercising this power, the police have an obligation to respect and protect the fundamental human rights and freedoms recognized by law of the land and international human right treaties. This is because the use of force and firearms by Police has the potential to go beyond its intended legitimate purposes and violate human rights. Consequently, there is a need for adequate laws governing the use of force and firearms by the police against person to avoid arbitrary or abusive use of force and firearms by police officers. In doing so, the police should observe international standards on policing, i.e. Code of Conduct and Basic Principles, while adopting and enacting the laws governing the use of force and firearms against person.