Abstract:
The right to access to justice of person with hearing impairments is a series problem in criminal
cases because liberty of human dignity at stake unlike civil case of pecuniary matters. According
to Ethiopia’s third National Population and Housing Census which was conducted on May and
November 2007,number of person with disability is high in Oromia region. From Oromia region
the number of person with hearing impairments are high in Jimma zone. Person with hearing
impairment faces various obstacles to access justice in criminal case in Jimma zone. This paper
was basically conducted using both doctrinal and qualitative methodology. Doctrinal I tried to
assess the legal gaps exist in our country starting from policy up active laws and legislation in
line with CRPD that our country ratified. Under qualitative method I have tried to assess the
practical barriers of person with hearing impairment in Jimma zone to access justice in criminal
cases on equal basis with other person through using case analysis and conducting interview with
justice sector professionals. Accordingly the major finding of this paper makes clear as to
existence of series problem on the right to access to justice hearing impaired person in this zone
in criminal cases.
