{{short description|Ethiopian lawyer}} {{Patronymic name}} {{More citations needed|article, particularly the sections "Judicial career" and "Appointment to the UN Dispute Tribunal"|date=November 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=August 2019}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Solomon Areda Waktolla | native_name = ሰለሞን አረዳ ዋቅቶላ | image = File:Justice Solomon Waktolla.png | office1 = Judge of the United Nations Dispute Tribunal | term_start1 = 1 July 2023 | term_end1 = | office2 = Vice-President of the Federal Supreme Court | term_start2 = 1 November 2018 | term_end2 = 17 January 2023 | prime_minister2 = Abiy Ahmed | president2 = Sahle-Work Zewde | successor2 = Abeba Embiale | predecessor2 = Tsegaye Asemamaw | caption = | birth_date = | birth_place = Garba Guracha, Salale, Ethiopia | spouse = Mulualem Girma | education = Harvard Law School (LLM) <br /> Harvard Kennedy School of Government (MPA) <br />Amsterdam University (LLM)<br /> Addis Ababa University (LLB) | children = 4 }}
'''Solomon Areda Waktolla''' ({{Langx|am|ሰለሞን አረዳ ዋቅቶላ}}, {{Langx|om|Solomoon Araddaa Waqtolaa}}) is an Ethiopian lawyer who had served as the Deputy Chief Justice/Vice President of the Federal Supreme Court of Ethiopia from 2018 to 2023.<ref>{{cite news |title=Muudamtoonni Mana Murtii Waliigalaa Federaalaa haqa hunda qaqqabsiisuuf ni hojjenna jedhan |url=https://www.bbc.com/afaanoromoo/oduu-46068695 |agency=BBC AFAAN OROMOO |language=om |access-date=26 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190822002337/https://www.bbc.com/afaanoromoo/oduu-46068695 |archive-date=August 22, 2019 | url-status = live }}</ref> Solomon is a prominent<ref>{{cite web |title=House elects president, vice president for Supreme Court |url=https://www.thereporterethiopia.com/article/house-elects-president-vice-president-supreme-court |website=Thereporterethiopia.com |date=November 2018 |publisher=The Reporter Ethiopia Media & Communications Center}}</ref> lawyer<ref name=a1>{{cite news | title = News: Another Historic Day as Ethiopia Supreme Court Gets First Female President, and a Prominent Lawyer as Vice President | url = https://addisstandard.com/news-another-historic-day-as-ethiopia-supreme-court-gets-first-female-president-and-a-prominent-lawyer-as-vice-president | newspaper = Addis Standard | date = 1 November 2018 | access-date = 26 August 2019 | location = Addis Abeba | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190424164415/http://addisstandard.com/news-another-historic-day-as-ethiopia-supreme-court-gets-first-female-president-and-a-prominent-lawyer-as-vice-president/ | archive-date = April 24, 2019 | url-status = live }}</ref> with 26 years of experience in the practice of law, public administration and policy research<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ethiopiannewsdigest.com/undt-appoints-solomon-areda-as-half-time-judge/|title=UNDT Appoints Solomon Areda as Half-Time Judge – – Ethiopiannewsdigest|date=November 16, 2022}}</ref> who is committed for seeing<ref>{{cite web|title=በፍርድ ቤት ላይ እምነት ማጣት በመንግሥት ላይ እምነት ማጣትን ያስከትላል፡፡ ያለጠንካራ ፍርድ ቤት ስለሀገር ግንባታ ማሰብ አይቻልም" አቶ ሰለሞን አረዳ የፌዴራል ጠቅላይ ፍርድ ቤት ምክትል ፕሬዚደንት|url=https://ethiopiaobservatory.com/2020/01/25/%E1%89%A0%E1%8A%A0%E1%8A%95%E1%8B%B5-%E1%8A%A0%E1%8C%88%E1%88%AD-%E1%8B%A8%E1%8B%B3%E1%8A%9D%E1%8A%90%E1%89%B5-%E1%8A%A0%E1%8A%AB%E1%88%8D-%E1%8A%A0%E1%88%B5%E1%8D%88%E1%88%8B%E1%8C%8A%E1%8A%90/|website=ethiopiaobservatory.com|publisher=THE ETHIOPIA OBSERVATORY (TEO)|access-date=2025-11-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220121001030/https://ethiopiaobservatory.com/2020/01/25/%E1%89%A0%E1%8A%A0%E1%8A%95%E1%8B%B5-%E1%8A%A0%E1%8C%88%E1%88%AD-%E1%8B%A8%E1%8B%B3%E1%8A%9D%E1%8A%90%E1%89%B5-%E1%8A%A0%E1%8A%AB%E1%88%8D-%E1%8A%A0%E1%88%B5%E1%8D%88%E1%88%8B%E1%8C%8A%E1%8A%90/|archive-date=January 21, 2022|url-status=bot: unknown}}</ref> a free and independent judiciary in Ethiopia.<ref>{{Cite news | title = የፌደራል ጠቅላይ ፍርድ ቤት ፕሬዚዳንት ወ/ሮ መዓዛ አሸናፊ እና ምክትል ፕሬዚዳንት አቶ ሰለሞን አረዳ ፍትህን ለሁሉም ለማድረስ እንደሚሰሩ ገለፁ | url = https://www.bbc.com/amharic/46062459 | agency = BBC Amharic | language = am | date = 2 November 2018 | access-date = 26 August 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190821235319/https://www.bbc.com/amharic/46062459 | archive-date = August 21, 2019 | url-status = live }}</ref> Solomon had worked in the judiciary mainly as a judge for 20 years on different levels of the court in both regional and federal positions.<ref name="Ethiopian News Agency">{{cite web |title=አቶ ሰለሞን አረዳ የፌዴራል ጠቅላይ ፍርድ ቤት ምክትል ፕሬዝዳንት ሆኑ |url=https://www.ena.et/?p=24073 |website=ena.et |publisher=Ethiopian News Agency}}</ref> In addition, he has been appointed to the membership of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) at The Hague, Netherlands for a six-year term to serve as an Arbitrator.<ref>{{Cite web | url = https://pca-cpa.org/en/about/structure/members-of-the-court/ | title = Members of the Court | website = Permanent Court of Arbitration | via = pca-cpa.org | access-date = 26 August 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160827181430/https://pca-cpa.org/en/about/structure/members-of-the-court/ | archive-date = August 27, 2016 | url-status = live }}</ref>
Solomon was appointed on 15 November 2022 by the UN General Assembly as a Half-time Judge of the United Nations Dispute Tribunal for a mandate starting on 1 July 2023 and ending on 30 June 2030. Furthermore, he has been appointed by the Board of Directors of the African Development Bank as a Judge of the Administrative Tribunal of the African Development Bank, effective from November 2023.
== Early life and education ==
Solomon Areda Waktolla born in the town of Garba Guracha, Salalee, North Shewa zone of Oromia regional state in Ethiopia.<ref name="Ethiopian press Agency"/>{{Dead link|date=November 2025|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230407171426/https://www.press.et/Ama/?p=25768|fix-attempted=yes}}
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.{{Citation needed|date=October 2021}} He received a Master of Laws degree (LL.M) from Harvard Law School and Master of public Administration (MPA) from Harvard Kennedy School of Government.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://alumni.harvard.edu/community/clubs-sigs/clubs-directory#club_98681|title=Harvard Clubs|website=Harvard Alumni|access-date=August 26, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190819022051/https://alumni.harvard.edu/community/clubs-sigs/clubs-directory#club_98681|archive-date=August 19, 2019| url-status = live }}</ref> He obtained HIID Merit Scholarship award from Harvard University. At Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Solomon completed the fellowship of Edward S. Mason Program in public policy and management.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/solomon-areda-waktolla-1a047918/|title=Linkedin}}</ref>{{Primary source inline|date=November 2025|reason=The LinkedIn page of a living person is not an acceptable source; see WP:BLPPRIMARY, WP:BLPSPS, and WP:LINKEDIN.}} In addition, he received Master of Laws (LL.M) in International Economic Law at the University of Amsterdam.<ref name="WF">{{cite web|date=November 2011|title=The Way Forward Project Report|url=http://www.law.harvard.edu/faculty/bartholet/The%20Way%20Forward%20Project%20Report.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160326144332/http://www.law.harvard.edu/faculty/bartholet/The%20Way%20Forward%20Project%20Report.pdf|archive-date=March 26, 2016|access-date=August 15, 2019|publisher=Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute|page=149}}</ref>
He is a member of the Harvard Alumni Association and currently serving as Harvard University Contact Person in Ethiopia.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://africa.harvard.edu/alumni-shared-interest-groups|title=Alumni & Shared Interest Groups|website=africa.harvard.edu|access-date=August 15, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190815211706/https://africa.harvard.edu/alumni-shared-interest-groups|archive-date=August 15, 2019| url-status = live }}</ref> Solomon is a fellow of Golda Meir Mount Carmel International Training Center<ref name="auto"/> and an alumnus of the Center for American and International Law.<ref>{{cite web | title = Academy of American and International Law | url = http://cailaw.org/media/files/SWIICL/EventBrochures/2018/academy-catalog.pdf | date = 25 April 2018 | website = The Center for American and International Law | access-date = 26 August 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190823223330/http://cailaw.org/media/files/SWIICL/EventBrochures/2018/academy-catalog.pdf | archive-date = August 23, 2019 | url-status = live }}</ref>
==Judicial career == After graduating from law school, Solomon began working as an assistant judge in the Oromia Region Supreme Court. After his clerkship, Solomon 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, Solomon started his judgeship at the Federal First Instance Court of Ethiopia.<ref name=a1/> From February 2003 to January 2009, Solomon 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, Justice Solomon presided over the historical Ethiopian Red Terror genocide trial<ref>{{cite web|date=10 September 2019|title=Haqaa fi Itoophiyaa: Maraammartoo 'Maa'ikalaawii' mootummoota sadanii|url=https://www.bbc.com/afaanoromoo/oduu-49645160|website=bbc.com|publisher=BBC AFAAN OROMO}}</ref> where the former Ministers and other Higher Officials that served during the Derg regime were prosecuted for genocide and crimes against humanity.<ref>{{cite web |title="ምንም ወንጀል ተደብቆ አይቀርም፤ ከታሪክ ልንማር ይገባል ፤ ይሄ ተደጋጋሚ የማዕከላዊ የወንጀል አዙሪት ክሰተት በዚህ ትውልድ መቆም አለበት" አቶ ሰለሞን አረዳ የፌዴራል ጠቅላይ ፍርድ ቤት ምክትል ፕሬዚደንት |url=https://www.ethiopoint.com/amharic/archives/101320 |website=ethiopoint.com |publisher=ዘ-ሐበሻ (ZeHabesha)}}</ref>{{Dead link|date=November 2025|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230407171426/https://www.ethiopoint.com/amharic/archives/101320|fix-attempted=yes}}
In January 2009, the Ethiopian House of Parliament appointed Solomon to serve as the Vice President of the Federal First Instance Court of Ethiopia.<ref>{{cite news | title = Ethiopia Parliament approves presidents for supreme, high courts | url = http://nazret.com/blog/index.php/2009/01/24/ethiopia_parliament_approves_presidents_ | first = Bruck | last = Shewareged | newspaper = The Reporter | via = nazret.com | date = 24 January 2009 | access-date = 26 August 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170704102314/http://nazret.com/blog/index.php/2009/01/24/ethiopia_parliament_approves_presidents_ | archive-date = July 4, 2017 | url-status = live }}</ref>
==Private legal practice ==
After graduating from Harvard law School, in December 2014 Solomon started the private legal practice, establishing his own firm in Addis Ababa.{{Citation needed|date=November 2025}} 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.<ref name="Ethiopian press Agency">{{cite web |title="በፍርድ ቤት ላይ አለመተማመን አገዛዙ ላይ እምነት ማጣት ነው" – የፌዴራል ጠቅላይ ፍርድ ቤት ምክትል ፕሬዚዳንት አቶ ሰለሞን አረዳ |url=https://www.press.et/Ama/?p=25768 |website=press.et |publisher=Ethiopian press Agency|url-status=dead}}</ref> He advised both local, as well as global multi-nationals<ref name="Ethiopian News Agency"/> seeking to do business in Ethiopia and other African Countries<ref>{{cite web |title=Ethiopia appoints first woman Supreme Court president |url=http://leadershipmagazine.org/?p=16877 |website=Leadership for Christian Leaders}}</ref>{{Dead link|date=November 2025|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230407171427/http://leadershipmagazine.org/?p=16877|fix-attempted=yes}}<ref>{{cite news |title=ወ/ሮ መአዛ አሸናፊ የመጀመርያዋ ሴት የጠቅላይ ፍርድ ቤት ፕሬዚዳንት ሆኑ|url=https://www.ethiopianreporter.com/index.php/article/13724|publisher=ሪፖርተር ጋዜጣ|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181102165608/https://ethiopianreporter.com/article/13724|archive-date=2018-11-02|access-date=2025-11-28}}</ref><ref name="a1" />
==Membership of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA)== Solomon 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.<ref>{{Cite web | title = Members of the Permanent Court of Arbitration | url = https://pca-cpa.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2017/07/Current-List-of-Members-of-the-Court-20190606.pdf | website = pcs-cpa.org | publisher = Permanent Court of Arbitration | date = 6 June 2019 | access-date = 26 August 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190815223116/https://pca-cpa.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2017/07/Current-List-of-Members-of-the-Court-20190606.pdf | archive-date = August 15, 2019 | url-status = live }}</ref>
== Policy research == 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, Justice 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.<ref name="ERF">{{cite web|date=February 2005|title=Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Comprehensive Justice System Reform Program|url=https://www.lawethiopia.com/images/studies/CILC%20Ethiopia%20D%2005-0103.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181105004335/http://www.lawethiopia.com/images/studies/CILC%20Ethiopia%20D%2005-0103.pdf|archive-date=November 5, 2018|access-date=26 August 2019|website=Ethiopian Legal Information Portal|via=www.lawethiopia.com}}</ref>{{Primary source inline|date=April 2026}}
Solomon 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.<ref>{{cite web | title = Convention on the Rights of the Child: From Moral Imperatives to Legal Obligations, In Search of Effective Remedies for Child Rights Violations | url = https://archive.crin.org/en/docs/FileManager/CRC_Confernece_Pack_ENG.pdf | website = Child Rights International Network | via = archive.crin.org | date = 5 November 2009 | access-date = 26 August 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190821225403/https://archive.crin.org/en/docs/FileManager/CRC_Confernece_Pack_ENG.pdf | archive-date = August 21, 2019 | url-status = live }}</ref>
At Harvard Law School Solomon Waktolla, as a required written work, authored legal policy research on Land governance regime of Ethiopia. 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 frameworks to be adapted in Ethiopia's context to address the current challenges.<ref name="Waktolla2014">{{cite book| first = Solomon Areda | last = Waktolla | title = Alternative Models for the Current Agricultural Land Investment in Ethiopia | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=wx3eoQEACAAJ|year=2014 | publisher = Harvard Law School | via = Google Books}}</ref>
==Appointment to the position of Deputy Chief Justice==
On 1 November 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 the Ethiopian Parliament. The House of People's Representatives (HPR) approved their appointment by unanimous vote.<ref>{{Cite news | title = Women Power | url = https://www.capitalethiopia.com/featured/women-power/ | newspaper = Capital | date = 5 November 2018 | access-date = 26 August 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190815223122/https://www.capitalethiopia.com/featured/women-power/ | archive-date = August 15, 2019 | url-status = live }}</ref> Some of the parliamentarians who spoke during the nomination have also praised the Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed for his picks based on meritocracy.<ref name=a1/> Deputy Chief Justice Solomon Waktolla, serving alongside newly appointed Chief Justice Meaza Ashenafi, was engaged with reforming<ref>{{cite news |title=Reformation with Smiles|url=https://addisfortune.news/reformation-with-smiles/|publisher=Addis Fortune|date=2020-02-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250315131845/https://addisfortune.news/reformation-with-smiles/|archive-date=2025-03-15|access-date=2025-11-28}}</ref> and modernizing<ref>{{cite web |title=የፍትህ ሥርዓቱን የሚያሻሽሉ አሠራሮችን እየዘረጋ መሆኑን የፌዴራል ጠቅላይ ፍርድ ቤት ገለጸ |url=https://www.press.et/Ama/?p=25958 |website=press.et |publisher=Ethiopian press Agency}}</ref>{{Dead link|date=November 2025|fix-attempted=yes|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230407171428/https://www.press.et/Ama/?p=25958}} the Ethiopian Judiciary since coming into office.<ref>{{Cite news | url = https://www.ena.et/en/?p=4027 | title = Restoring Public's Trust on Justice System will be Priority: New Supreme Court President | work = Ethiopian News Agency | location = Addis Ababa | date = October 1, 2018 | access-date = August 22, 2019}}</ref> He had also presided over one of the cassation benches of the Federal Supreme court.<ref>{{cite news |title=Justices Overrule Dividend Tax Imposed on Total Ethiopia |url=https://addisfortune.com/justices-overrule-dividend-tax-imposed-on-total-ethiopia/ |publisher=Addisfortune |access-date=August 15, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190815223119/https://addisfortune.com/justices-overrule-dividend-tax-imposed-on-total-ethiopia/ |archive-date=August 15, 2019 | url-status = usurped }}</ref> Furthermore, he served as a Deputy chair of the Council of the Constitutional Inquiry of Ethiopia.<ref>{{Cite news | title = Another woman at the helm | url = https://www.thereporterethiopia.com/article/another-woman-helm | first = Yonas | last = Abiye | newspaper = The Reporter | date = 3 November 2018 | access-date = 26 August 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190815223118/https://www.thereporterethiopia.com/article/another-woman-helm | archive-date = August 15, 2019 | url-status = live }}</ref>
On 17 January 2023, Meaza Ashenafi and Solomon Areda Waktolla resigned from their post. A letter of HoPR did not mention the reason behind their resignations.<ref>{{cite web |last=AfricaNews |date=2023-01-17 |title=Head of Ethiopia's Supreme Court resigns |url=https://www.africanews.com/2023/01/17/head-of-ethiopias-supreme-court-resigns/ |access-date=2023-01-17 |website=Africanews |language=en}}</ref>
==Appointment to the UN Dispute Tribunal==
Solomon Areda Waktolla was appointed as a half time Judge of the United Nations Dispute Tribunal for the term 2023–2030 by the UN General Assembly in its 34th plenary meeting 77th session held on the 15th of November 2022 in New York. Solomon Waktolla won over Joanne Harrison, associate justice of supreme court in Australia, scoring the highest vote of 97 out of 190 member states of UN General Assembly meeting.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://waltainfo.com/undt-appoints-solomon-areda/|title=UNDT Appoints Solomon Areda as Half-Time Judge|date=November 16, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230403191907/https://waltainfo.com/undt-appoints-solomon-areda/|archive-date=2023-04-03}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://press.un.org/en/2022/ga12471.doc.htm |title=General Assembly Elects Judges to United Nations Appeals, Dispute Tribunals, Also Fills Vacancies in Eight of Its Subsidiary Bodies | Meetings Coverage and Press Releases}}</ref>
On June 15, 2023, Justice Solomon Waktolla was sworn into office by UN Secretary-General António Guterres at the United Nations headquarters in New York.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://ebc.et/newsdetails.aspx?newsid=1966 | title=FMR deputy president of the Federal Supreme Court, Solomon Areda, sworn in as a half-time judge of the UN Dispute Tribunal |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250602101356/https://ebc.et/newsdetails.aspx?newsid=1966|archive-date=2025-06-02}}</ref>
==Appointment to the Administrative Tribunal of the African Development Bank==
Solomon Waktolla has been appointed by the Board of Directors of the African Development Bank as a Judge of the Administrative Tribunal of the African Development Bank, effective from November 2023.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.afdb.org/en/about-us/organisational-structure/administrative-tribunal| title= African Development Bank Administrative Tribunal }}</ref>
== Personal life== Solomon is married to his wife Mulualem Girma Tadesse. They have two daughters and two sons.<ref name="youtube.com">{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Klj5_0xZFA&t=3285s | title=አቶ ሰለሞን አረዳ - የፌ/ጠ/ፍ/ቤት ም/ፕሬዝደንት እና በተ/መ/ድ የግማሽ ግዜ ዳኛ - ከልጅነት እስከ እውቀት | website=YouTube | date=December 2, 2022 }}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Solomon Areda}} Category:Living people Category:Addis Ababa University alumni Category:Harvard Law School alumni Category:Harvard Kennedy School alumni Category:University of Amsterdam alumni Category:Oromo people Category:People from Oromia Category:Year of birth missing (living people)