The_Revised_Constitution_of_The_Empire_of_Ethiopia-Chapter

Ba Beta Kristiyan Haile Selassie I

The Revised Constitution of The Empire of Ethiopia - 1955 Constitution

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The Church of Haile Selassie I, Inc.

Chapter III

RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF THE PEOPLE

ARTICAL 37

No one shall be denied the equal protection of the laws.

ARTICAL 38

There shall be no discrimination amongst Ethiopian subjects with respect to the
enjoyment of all civil rights.

ARTICAL 39

The law shall determine the conditions of acquisition and loss of Ethiopian
nationality and of Ethiopian citizenship.

ARTICAL 40

There shall be no interference with the exercise, in accordance with the law, of
the rights of any religion or creed by the residents of the Empire, provided that
such rites be not utilized for political purposes or be not prejudicial to public
order of morality.

ARTICAL 41

Freedom of speech and of the press is guaranteed throughout the Empire in
accordance with the law.

ARTICAL 42

Correspondence shall be subject to no censorship, except in time of declared
national emergency.

ARTICAL 43

No one within the Empire may be deprived of life, liberty or property without due
process of law.

ARTICAL 44

Everyone has the right, within the limits of the law, to own and dispose of
property. No one may be deprived of his property except upon finding by
ministerial order issued pursuant to the requirements of a special expropriation
law enacted in accordance with the provisions of Articals 88, 89 or 90 of the
present Constitution, and except upon payment of just compensation
determined, in the absence of agreement, by judicial procedures established by
law. Said ministerial order, to be effective, shall be approved by the Council of
Ministers and published in the Negarit Gazeta

ARTICAL 45

Ethiopian subjects shall have the right, in accordance with the conditions
prescribed by law, to assemble peacably and without arms.

ARTICAL 46

Freedom to travel within the Empire and to change domicile therein is assured
to all subjects of the Empire, in accordance with the law.

ARTICAL 47

Every Ethiopian subject has the right to engage in any occupation and, to that
end, to form or join associations, in accordance with the law.

ARTICAL 48

The Ethiopian family, as the source of the maintenance and development of the
Empire and the primary basis of education and social harmony, is under the
special protection of the law.

ARTICAL 49

No Ethiopian subject may be banished from the Empire.

ARTICAL 50

No Ethiopian subject may be extradited to a foreign country. No other person
shall be extradited except as provided by international agreement.

ARTICAL 51

No one may be arrested without a warrant issued by a court, except in case of
flagrant or serious violation of the law in force. Every arrested person shall be
brought before the judicial authority within forty-eight hours of his arrest.
However, if the arrest takes place in a locality which is removed from the court by
a distance which can be traversed only on foot in not less than forty-eight hours,
the court shall have discretion to extend the period of forty-eight hours. The
period of detention shall be reckoned as a part of the term of imprisonment
imposed by sentence. No one shall be held in prison awaiting trial on a criminal
charge to sole penalty for which is a fine.

ARTICAL 52

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused, duly submitting to the court, shall have
the right to a speedy trial and to be confronted with witnesses against him, to
have compulsory process, in accordance with the law, for obtaining witnesses in
his favour, at the expence of the Government and to have the assistance of
council for his defence, who, if the accused is unable to obtain the same by his
own efforts or through his own funds, shall be assigned and provided to the
accused by the court.

ARTICAL 53

No person accused of and arrested for a crime shall be presumed guilty until so
proven.

ARTICAL 54

Punishment is personal. No one shall be punished except in accordance with the
law and after conviction of an offence committed by him.

ARTICAL 55

No one shall be punished for any offence which has not been decleard by law to
be punishable before the commision of such offence, or shall suffer any
punishement greater than that which was provided by the law in force at the time
of the commision of the offence.

ARTICAL 56

No one shall be punished twice for the same offence.

ARTICAL 57

No one shall be subjected to cruel and in human punishment.

ARTICAL 58

No one shall be imprisoned for debt, except in case of legally proven fraud or of
refusal either, to pay moneys or property adjudged by the court to have been
taken in violation of the law, or to pay, or to fulfill legal obligations of
maintenance. This provision shall not have the effect of releasing the debtor from
his obligations.

ARTICAL 59

No sentence of death shall be executed unless it be confirmed by the Emperor.

ARTICAL 60

Confiscation of property as a penalty shall not be imposed except in cases of
treason, as defined by law, against the Emperor or the Empire; sequestration of
property as a penalty shall not be imposed except in cases of property belonging
to persons residing abroad and conspiring against or engaging in deliberately
hostile acts, as defined by law, against the Emperor or the Empire. Attachment
proceedings covering the whole or part of the property of a person, made under
judicial authority, to cover payment of civil liability, or liability arising out of the
commission of an offence, or to meet taxes or fines, shall not be deemed a
confiscation of property.

ARTICAL 61

All persons and all private domiciles shall be exempt from unlawful searches and
seizures.

ARTICAL 62

(a) In accordance with tradition and the provisions of Artical 4 of this
Constitution, no one shall have the right to bring suit against the Emperor.

(b) Any resident of the Empire may bring suit, in the courts of Ethiopia, against
the Government, or any Ministry, Department, Agency or instrumentality thereof,
for wrongful acts resulting in substantial damage. In the event that the courts shall
find that such suit has been brought maliciously or with out foundation, the
Government, or any Ministry, Department, Agency, instrumentality, or official
thereof against whom or which such suit was brought, shall have the right of
action against such resident for such malicious or unfounded suit, and the court
shall, in such case, decree remedies or penalities according to the law.

ARTICAL 63

Everyone in the Empire shall have the right to present petitions to the Emperor.

ARTICAL 64

Everyone in the Empire has the duty to respect and obey the constitution, laws,
decrees, orders and regulations of the Empire. Ethiopian subjects, in additions,
owe loyality to the Emperor and the Empire, and have duty of defending the
Emperor and the Empire against, foreign and domestic, to perform public
services, including military services, when called upon to do so, and to exercise
the right of suffrage which is conferred upon them by the Constitution.

ARTICAL 65

Respect for the rights and freedoms of others and the requirements of public
order and the general welfare, shall alone justify any limitations upon the rights
guaranteed in the foregoing articals of the present Chapter.

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The Church of Haile Selassie I, Inc.

Ba Beta Kristiyan Haile Selassie I