Dr Melkamu is a highly specialized and educated expert in Land Law, Land Policy and Land Management. He has received a cutting-edge education in Law, Land Management, and Leadership from Addis Ababa University of Ethiopia, the Royal Institute of Technology of Sweden and the University of Melbourne of Australia. He has applied his knowledge in teaching and advising, research, consultancy, legal practice, and voluntary community service. His teaching and advisory task involves first degree, masters and PhD classes in different Ethiopian universities. In research, he has published in leading law journals in Australia and Ethiopia; he has also presented and got published on various international conferences especially those hosted by the International Federation of Surveyors. Dr Melkamu has also enjoyed standing on behalf of clients - national and international - before courts of law especially on real property cases since 2009. Dr Melkamu founded the Ethiopian Land Administration Professionals Association in 2009 for which he acted as founding Secretary until the 3rd of March 2020 and since then as a management board member until mid 2023. In recognition to his extraordinary contribution in his field for humanity, Commonwealth University has awarded him with an honorary doctorate degree in Law (LL.D) in July 19, 2018. He is currently a Fulbright scholar based in Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Phone: +251 91 876 1137 Address: Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
Sound water resource management is critical for Ethiopia to protect water bodies and wetlands as ... more Sound water resource management is critical for Ethiopia to protect water bodies and wetlands as well as tap these resources for better socioeconomic development. However, water resource management has faced challenges in Ethiopia. This article examines whether water resources could be better managed through an innovative way of integrating their management and administration with land administration in line with the principle of Integrated Water Resource Management and sustainable land management. Doctrinal analysis of laws pertaining to water and land management is applied to this end. Primary data collection methods were also applied through questionnaire survey, in-depth interview, and focus group discussion. The article discusses the general role of sustainable water resource management in the protection of the country's water bodies and examines the critical gaps under the present fragmented natural resource management system. A conceptual framework is developed to highlight the relationship between the principle of sustainable water resource management and land management. The existing natural resource management in Ethiopia is unsustainable and hence it is argued that a land administration approach can enhance water resource management in an integrated, holistic, and sustainable fashion by focusing on Lake Tana Watershed.
THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ETHIOPIAN LEGAL STUDIES, 2021
In Ethiopia, rural land holders as well as practitioners are left with uncertainty regarding the ... more In Ethiopia, rural land holders as well as practitioners are left with uncertainty regarding the right and freedom to sell properties they produced on their land‒holding for dwelling purposes and like. The message conveyed by the FDRE Constitution and rural land legislations in this respect has not been clearly understood and applied. This paper aims to investigate the real content of the legal provisions and the practice with respect to the sale of rural houses in Ethiopia by providing empirical evidence from Amhara National Regional State (ANRS). The research applied both qualitative and quantitative research methods. The qualitative method was used to analyze data collected through focus group discussion (FGD) and key informant interviews. 5 FGDs were conducted with a total of 85 rural land-holders in each of the Five selected woredas and with Nine judges selected from the Bahir Dar Area High Court and the Supreme Court of ANRS. To analyze relevant laws, I applied doctrinal analysis. I also applied comparative law method to compare the Ethiopian land transfer regime with that of China and Vietnam. The quantitative method was applied to present data collected through questionnaire. Questionnaire survey was applied to collect information from two groups of respondents: 50 rural land administration and use staff in the selected Five woredas (districts) and a total of 30 judges working in courts representing the Five selected woredas. The data obtained was presented by a simple statistical tool using figure, tables and percentages. The study has found out that the law does not prevent the sale of rural houses in Ethiopia as it is the case in Vietnam and China. However, the study showed that the law has been understood by both the people and experts to prohibit the practice of sale of rural houses. The study suggests that a clearer and more complete legislative coverage as well as an active and better oriented staff in land administration and use offices and courts should be ensured in order to enforce existing land policy properly.
The International Journal Of Ethiopian Legal Studies, 2019
Generally, in most African countries, cadastral systems have not developed well. This paper, firs... more Generally, in most African countries, cadastral systems have not developed well. This paper, first, uncovers the critical problem surrounding customary tenure in Africa under the theory the author has introduced ‒ ‘custom paradox’ theory. In the paper,‘custom paradox’ theory is considered as a common misunderstanding of customary tenure, and, as such, has contributed to the failure of cadastral systems in most African countries. Second, the paper elaborates on the true characteristics of customary tenure and demonstrates its strong relationship with statutory tenure. In order to best establish the relationship, the author introduces an analytical theory which calls for the ‘informalization’ of the statutory tenure where the cadastral system legislations are made the reflection of the practices of the African people. A critical desk review of relevant secondary and sometimes legislative documents is mainly used in the paper. In addition, the paper has critically reviewed legal theory in order to cater for the relationship between law and practice and to apply same in the context of the objective of the research. The paper argues that recognition and formalisation of customary tenure is now getting legislative coverage in a few countries of Africa including Ethiopia despite some practical shortcomings. While showing the mechanisms of favorably making custom work in cadastral systems by way of striking a balance between ‘modernization’ and ‘tradition’, the paper would contribute to the strengthening of the already existing scholarly work through establishing the casual relationship between the failure of cadastral systems and the misunderstandings about customary tenure in most African cadastral systems.
Land registration system has been put in place in the rural areas of Amhara National Regional Sta... more Land registration system has been put in place in the rural areas of Amhara National Regional State (ANRS) since 2002. The courts in the regional state decide on land disputes based on land information obtained from the land administration offices. These offices are expected to supply the information available at the land registration system. However, land administration and use offices often get the information directly from the public on an individual case basis following order from a court. This is mainly attributable to the low level of using the land registration system in the region by the land administration offices and legal professionals. The land registration system is not used to its maximum potential to alleviate the problem of land dispute. A case study approach is used in this article, and five rural woredas were purposively chosen because of high prevalence of land disputes. Questionnaires, focus group discussions (FGDs) and court cases are used. The research indicate...
SUMMARY Ethiopia is, in the last two decades, taking some legal and policy positive measures to i... more SUMMARY Ethiopia is, in the last two decades, taking some legal and policy positive measures to improve the old long lasting poor land administration system. Land registration and certification is being implemented in the country though in quite varying scale and quality. However, there are several major gaps in the existing sustainable land management practices. The responsible organ for the
Critical Gaps in Land Governance with Respect to the Land Registration System in Ethiopia, 2021
Land registration is a useful land information system practised in almost all modern nations. It ... more Land registration is a useful land information system practised in almost all modern nations. It is also true that many land registration systems fail due to a number of reasons. This article investigates whether the land registration system in Ethiopia has given due attention to sound land governance components which are critical for the success of any land registration system. Doctrinal and content analysis of legislative documents of Ethiopia is applied to this end. Desk review of relevant secondary material was also used. The article discusses the general role of good governance in such systems and shows the benefits of a land registration system that is exercised under good governance. A conceptual framework is used by which the land registration governance system of Ethiopia is weighed. I argue that the land registration system of Ethiopia has major gaps of land governance. Good land governance in land registration of the country could be enhanced by the provision of adequate legislative and policy framework, effective land registration institutional organs and efficient processes for the enforcement of the system.
SUMMARY Ethiopia is, in the last two decades, taking some positive measures to improve the old lo... more SUMMARY Ethiopia is, in the last two decades, taking some positive measures to improve the old long lasting poor land administration system. Some laws were made at federal and regional level; so were some policy guidelines. More importantly, land registration and certification is being implemented in the country though in quite varying scale and quality. In view of this, it is quite appropriate to investigate the major gaps in the existing sustainable land management practices. The gaps should be identified and a few possible solutions be indicated. The main problems in this regard relate to enforcing institutions of the land laws and activities, legislative framework for the land administration, and the technical management of the land related information such as the issue of computerization. However, this governmental effort has to be supported by the land professionals in the country whose number is increasing at a good rate. In view of this, the land professionals have already p...
Land registration system has been put in place in the rural areas of Amhara National Regional Sta... more Land registration system has been put in place in the rural areas of Amhara National Regional State (ANRS) since 2002. The courts in the regional state decide on land disputes based on land information obtained from the land administration offices. These offices are expected to supply the information available at the land registration system. However, land administration and use offices often get the information directly from the public on an individual case basis following order from a court. This is mainly attributable to the low level of using the land registration system in the region by the land administration offices and legal professionals. The land registration system is not used to its maximum potential to alleviate the problem of land dispute. A case study approach is used in this article, and five rural woredas were purposively chosen because of high prevalence of land disputes. Questionnaires, focus group discussions (FGDs) and court cases are used. The research indicates the need for a strong institutional and regulatory mechanism of land management in ANRS.
International Journal of Ethiopian Legal Studies, 2019
Generally, in most African countries, cadastral systems have not developed well. This paper, firs... more Generally, in most African countries, cadastral systems have not developed well. This paper, first, uncovers the critical problem surrounding customary tenure in Africa under the theory the author has introduced ‒ ‘custom paradox’ theory. In the paper,‘custom paradox’ theory is considered as a common misunderstanding of customary tenure, and, as such, has contributed to the failure of cadastral systems in most African countries. Second, the paper elaborates on the true characteristics of customary tenure and demonstrates its strong relationship with statutory tenure. In order to best establish the relationship, the author introduces an analytical theory which calls for the ‘informalization’ of the statutory tenure where the cadastral system legislations are made the reflection of the practices of the African people. A critical desk review of relevant secondary and sometimes legislative documents is mainly used in the paper. In addition, the paper has critically reviewed legal theory in order to cater for the relationship between law and practice and to apply same in the context of the objective of the research. The paper argues that recognition and formalisation of customary tenure is now getting legislative coverage in a few countries of Africa including Ethiopia despite some practical shortcomings. While showing the mechanisms of favorably making custom work in cadastral systems by way of striking a balance between ‘modernization’ and ‘tradition’, the paper would contribute to the strengthening of the already existing scholarly work through establishing the casual relationship between the failure of cadastral systems and the misunderstandings about customary tenure in most African cadastral systems.
This research is about Lake Tana and the administration thereof. It assesses the general legislat... more This research is about Lake Tana and the administration thereof. It assesses the general legislation as well as administration of all water resources in the country to help shed direct light on the administration of Lake Tana. This research has been undertaken with the following aims and objectives: a. Looking at the present state of administration of Lake Tana , b. Identifying the major problems of administration of the Lake, c. Investigating the best ways of managing the Lake primarily control of its quality and pollution thereto, and d. Promoting the highest benefit that people could derive from the Lake.
This article deals with the question of formal requirements and their relevance to the validity o... more This article deals with the question of formal requirements and their relevance to the validity of transactions relating to immovable properties both in urban and rural settings. The article discovers that while some rules try to mention the types of formal requirements and their effect on the validity of legal transactions on immovable properties, there is still a problem of lack of coherence within each of the legislations as well as among the various legislations. Similarly, there are divergent interpretations of these rules. One cause, we argue, is the failure to demarcate the distinction among multiple existing formal requirements. In particular, legal professionals have been confused with the difference between authentication and registration requirements. This research aims to supplement the current discourse on the issue by critically identifying the different formal requirements described in various laws, both the long existing Civil Code and the relatively recent urban and rural land use and administration legislations, and advancing more comprehensive arguments on the issue. To do so, it provides a theoretical definition of the relevant concepts based on international standards and links these definitions to the definitions given under our law. In addition, it analyses a few sample court cases decided by the Amhara region Supreme Court as well as offering supplementary information from a few key informants and a focus group discussion.
Sound water resource management is critical for Ethiopia to protect water bodies and wetlands as ... more Sound water resource management is critical for Ethiopia to protect water bodies and wetlands as well as tap these resources for better socioeconomic development. However, water resource management has faced challenges in Ethiopia. This article examines whether water resources could be better managed through an innovative way of integrating their management and administration with land administration in line with the principle of Integrated Water Resource Management and sustainable land management. Doctrinal analysis of laws pertaining to water and land management is applied to this end. Primary data collection methods were also applied through questionnaire survey, in-depth interview, and focus group discussion. The article discusses the general role of sustainable water resource management in the protection of the country's water bodies and examines the critical gaps under the present fragmented natural resource management system. A conceptual framework is developed to highlight the relationship between the principle of sustainable water resource management and land management. The existing natural resource management in Ethiopia is unsustainable and hence it is argued that a land administration approach can enhance water resource management in an integrated, holistic, and sustainable fashion by focusing on Lake Tana Watershed.
THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ETHIOPIAN LEGAL STUDIES, 2021
In Ethiopia, rural land holders as well as practitioners are left with uncertainty regarding the ... more In Ethiopia, rural land holders as well as practitioners are left with uncertainty regarding the right and freedom to sell properties they produced on their land‒holding for dwelling purposes and like. The message conveyed by the FDRE Constitution and rural land legislations in this respect has not been clearly understood and applied. This paper aims to investigate the real content of the legal provisions and the practice with respect to the sale of rural houses in Ethiopia by providing empirical evidence from Amhara National Regional State (ANRS). The research applied both qualitative and quantitative research methods. The qualitative method was used to analyze data collected through focus group discussion (FGD) and key informant interviews. 5 FGDs were conducted with a total of 85 rural land-holders in each of the Five selected woredas and with Nine judges selected from the Bahir Dar Area High Court and the Supreme Court of ANRS. To analyze relevant laws, I applied doctrinal analysis. I also applied comparative law method to compare the Ethiopian land transfer regime with that of China and Vietnam. The quantitative method was applied to present data collected through questionnaire. Questionnaire survey was applied to collect information from two groups of respondents: 50 rural land administration and use staff in the selected Five woredas (districts) and a total of 30 judges working in courts representing the Five selected woredas. The data obtained was presented by a simple statistical tool using figure, tables and percentages. The study has found out that the law does not prevent the sale of rural houses in Ethiopia as it is the case in Vietnam and China. However, the study showed that the law has been understood by both the people and experts to prohibit the practice of sale of rural houses. The study suggests that a clearer and more complete legislative coverage as well as an active and better oriented staff in land administration and use offices and courts should be ensured in order to enforce existing land policy properly.
The International Journal Of Ethiopian Legal Studies, 2019
Generally, in most African countries, cadastral systems have not developed well. This paper, firs... more Generally, in most African countries, cadastral systems have not developed well. This paper, first, uncovers the critical problem surrounding customary tenure in Africa under the theory the author has introduced ‒ ‘custom paradox’ theory. In the paper,‘custom paradox’ theory is considered as a common misunderstanding of customary tenure, and, as such, has contributed to the failure of cadastral systems in most African countries. Second, the paper elaborates on the true characteristics of customary tenure and demonstrates its strong relationship with statutory tenure. In order to best establish the relationship, the author introduces an analytical theory which calls for the ‘informalization’ of the statutory tenure where the cadastral system legislations are made the reflection of the practices of the African people. A critical desk review of relevant secondary and sometimes legislative documents is mainly used in the paper. In addition, the paper has critically reviewed legal theory in order to cater for the relationship between law and practice and to apply same in the context of the objective of the research. The paper argues that recognition and formalisation of customary tenure is now getting legislative coverage in a few countries of Africa including Ethiopia despite some practical shortcomings. While showing the mechanisms of favorably making custom work in cadastral systems by way of striking a balance between ‘modernization’ and ‘tradition’, the paper would contribute to the strengthening of the already existing scholarly work through establishing the casual relationship between the failure of cadastral systems and the misunderstandings about customary tenure in most African cadastral systems.
Land registration system has been put in place in the rural areas of Amhara National Regional Sta... more Land registration system has been put in place in the rural areas of Amhara National Regional State (ANRS) since 2002. The courts in the regional state decide on land disputes based on land information obtained from the land administration offices. These offices are expected to supply the information available at the land registration system. However, land administration and use offices often get the information directly from the public on an individual case basis following order from a court. This is mainly attributable to the low level of using the land registration system in the region by the land administration offices and legal professionals. The land registration system is not used to its maximum potential to alleviate the problem of land dispute. A case study approach is used in this article, and five rural woredas were purposively chosen because of high prevalence of land disputes. Questionnaires, focus group discussions (FGDs) and court cases are used. The research indicate...
SUMMARY Ethiopia is, in the last two decades, taking some legal and policy positive measures to i... more SUMMARY Ethiopia is, in the last two decades, taking some legal and policy positive measures to improve the old long lasting poor land administration system. Land registration and certification is being implemented in the country though in quite varying scale and quality. However, there are several major gaps in the existing sustainable land management practices. The responsible organ for the
Critical Gaps in Land Governance with Respect to the Land Registration System in Ethiopia, 2021
Land registration is a useful land information system practised in almost all modern nations. It ... more Land registration is a useful land information system practised in almost all modern nations. It is also true that many land registration systems fail due to a number of reasons. This article investigates whether the land registration system in Ethiopia has given due attention to sound land governance components which are critical for the success of any land registration system. Doctrinal and content analysis of legislative documents of Ethiopia is applied to this end. Desk review of relevant secondary material was also used. The article discusses the general role of good governance in such systems and shows the benefits of a land registration system that is exercised under good governance. A conceptual framework is used by which the land registration governance system of Ethiopia is weighed. I argue that the land registration system of Ethiopia has major gaps of land governance. Good land governance in land registration of the country could be enhanced by the provision of adequate legislative and policy framework, effective land registration institutional organs and efficient processes for the enforcement of the system.
SUMMARY Ethiopia is, in the last two decades, taking some positive measures to improve the old lo... more SUMMARY Ethiopia is, in the last two decades, taking some positive measures to improve the old long lasting poor land administration system. Some laws were made at federal and regional level; so were some policy guidelines. More importantly, land registration and certification is being implemented in the country though in quite varying scale and quality. In view of this, it is quite appropriate to investigate the major gaps in the existing sustainable land management practices. The gaps should be identified and a few possible solutions be indicated. The main problems in this regard relate to enforcing institutions of the land laws and activities, legislative framework for the land administration, and the technical management of the land related information such as the issue of computerization. However, this governmental effort has to be supported by the land professionals in the country whose number is increasing at a good rate. In view of this, the land professionals have already p...
Land registration system has been put in place in the rural areas of Amhara National Regional Sta... more Land registration system has been put in place in the rural areas of Amhara National Regional State (ANRS) since 2002. The courts in the regional state decide on land disputes based on land information obtained from the land administration offices. These offices are expected to supply the information available at the land registration system. However, land administration and use offices often get the information directly from the public on an individual case basis following order from a court. This is mainly attributable to the low level of using the land registration system in the region by the land administration offices and legal professionals. The land registration system is not used to its maximum potential to alleviate the problem of land dispute. A case study approach is used in this article, and five rural woredas were purposively chosen because of high prevalence of land disputes. Questionnaires, focus group discussions (FGDs) and court cases are used. The research indicates the need for a strong institutional and regulatory mechanism of land management in ANRS.
International Journal of Ethiopian Legal Studies, 2019
Generally, in most African countries, cadastral systems have not developed well. This paper, firs... more Generally, in most African countries, cadastral systems have not developed well. This paper, first, uncovers the critical problem surrounding customary tenure in Africa under the theory the author has introduced ‒ ‘custom paradox’ theory. In the paper,‘custom paradox’ theory is considered as a common misunderstanding of customary tenure, and, as such, has contributed to the failure of cadastral systems in most African countries. Second, the paper elaborates on the true characteristics of customary tenure and demonstrates its strong relationship with statutory tenure. In order to best establish the relationship, the author introduces an analytical theory which calls for the ‘informalization’ of the statutory tenure where the cadastral system legislations are made the reflection of the practices of the African people. A critical desk review of relevant secondary and sometimes legislative documents is mainly used in the paper. In addition, the paper has critically reviewed legal theory in order to cater for the relationship between law and practice and to apply same in the context of the objective of the research. The paper argues that recognition and formalisation of customary tenure is now getting legislative coverage in a few countries of Africa including Ethiopia despite some practical shortcomings. While showing the mechanisms of favorably making custom work in cadastral systems by way of striking a balance between ‘modernization’ and ‘tradition’, the paper would contribute to the strengthening of the already existing scholarly work through establishing the casual relationship between the failure of cadastral systems and the misunderstandings about customary tenure in most African cadastral systems.
This research is about Lake Tana and the administration thereof. It assesses the general legislat... more This research is about Lake Tana and the administration thereof. It assesses the general legislation as well as administration of all water resources in the country to help shed direct light on the administration of Lake Tana. This research has been undertaken with the following aims and objectives: a. Looking at the present state of administration of Lake Tana , b. Identifying the major problems of administration of the Lake, c. Investigating the best ways of managing the Lake primarily control of its quality and pollution thereto, and d. Promoting the highest benefit that people could derive from the Lake.
This article deals with the question of formal requirements and their relevance to the validity o... more This article deals with the question of formal requirements and their relevance to the validity of transactions relating to immovable properties both in urban and rural settings. The article discovers that while some rules try to mention the types of formal requirements and their effect on the validity of legal transactions on immovable properties, there is still a problem of lack of coherence within each of the legislations as well as among the various legislations. Similarly, there are divergent interpretations of these rules. One cause, we argue, is the failure to demarcate the distinction among multiple existing formal requirements. In particular, legal professionals have been confused with the difference between authentication and registration requirements. This research aims to supplement the current discourse on the issue by critically identifying the different formal requirements described in various laws, both the long existing Civil Code and the relatively recent urban and rural land use and administration legislations, and advancing more comprehensive arguments on the issue. To do so, it provides a theoretical definition of the relevant concepts based on international standards and links these definitions to the definitions given under our law. In addition, it analyses a few sample court cases decided by the Amhara region Supreme Court as well as offering supplementary information from a few key informants and a focus group discussion.
Uploads
selected woredas and with Nine judges selected from the Bahir Dar Area High Court and the Supreme Court of ANRS. To analyze relevant laws, I applied doctrinal analysis. I also applied comparative law method to compare the Ethiopian land transfer regime with that of China and
Vietnam. The quantitative method was applied to present data collected through questionnaire.
Questionnaire survey was applied to collect information from two groups of respondents: 50 rural land administration and use staff in the selected Five woredas (districts) and a total of 30 judges working in courts representing the Five selected woredas. The data obtained was
presented by a simple statistical tool using figure, tables and percentages. The study has found out that the law does not prevent the sale of rural houses in Ethiopia as it is the case in Vietnam and China. However, the study showed that the law has been understood by both the people and
experts to prohibit the practice of sale of rural houses. The study suggests that a clearer and more complete legislative coverage as well as an active and better oriented staff in land administration and use offices and courts should be ensured in order to enforce existing land policy properly.
This research has been undertaken with the following aims and objectives:
a. Looking at the present state of administration of Lake Tana ,
b. Identifying the major problems of administration of the Lake,
c. Investigating the best ways of managing the Lake primarily control of its quality and pollution thereto, and
d. Promoting the highest benefit that people could derive from the Lake.
demarcate the distinction among multiple existing formal requirements. In particular, legal professionals have been confused with the difference between authentication and registration requirements. This research aims to supplement the current discourse on the issue by critically identifying the different formal requirements described in various laws, both the long existing Civil Code and the relatively recent urban and rural land use and administration legislations, and advancing more comprehensive arguments on the issue. To do so, it provides a theoretical definition of the relevant concepts based on international standards and
links these definitions to the definitions given under our law. In addition, it
analyses a few sample court cases decided by the Amhara region Supreme Court as well as offering supplementary information from a few key informants and a focus group discussion.
Key Words: Formality Requirement, Authentication, Immovable Registration, Immovable Transaction, Validity
selected woredas and with Nine judges selected from the Bahir Dar Area High Court and the Supreme Court of ANRS. To analyze relevant laws, I applied doctrinal analysis. I also applied comparative law method to compare the Ethiopian land transfer regime with that of China and
Vietnam. The quantitative method was applied to present data collected through questionnaire.
Questionnaire survey was applied to collect information from two groups of respondents: 50 rural land administration and use staff in the selected Five woredas (districts) and a total of 30 judges working in courts representing the Five selected woredas. The data obtained was
presented by a simple statistical tool using figure, tables and percentages. The study has found out that the law does not prevent the sale of rural houses in Ethiopia as it is the case in Vietnam and China. However, the study showed that the law has been understood by both the people and
experts to prohibit the practice of sale of rural houses. The study suggests that a clearer and more complete legislative coverage as well as an active and better oriented staff in land administration and use offices and courts should be ensured in order to enforce existing land policy properly.
This research has been undertaken with the following aims and objectives:
a. Looking at the present state of administration of Lake Tana ,
b. Identifying the major problems of administration of the Lake,
c. Investigating the best ways of managing the Lake primarily control of its quality and pollution thereto, and
d. Promoting the highest benefit that people could derive from the Lake.
demarcate the distinction among multiple existing formal requirements. In particular, legal professionals have been confused with the difference between authentication and registration requirements. This research aims to supplement the current discourse on the issue by critically identifying the different formal requirements described in various laws, both the long existing Civil Code and the relatively recent urban and rural land use and administration legislations, and advancing more comprehensive arguments on the issue. To do so, it provides a theoretical definition of the relevant concepts based on international standards and
links these definitions to the definitions given under our law. In addition, it
analyses a few sample court cases decided by the Amhara region Supreme Court as well as offering supplementary information from a few key informants and a focus group discussion.
Key Words: Formality Requirement, Authentication, Immovable Registration, Immovable Transaction, Validity