What I've heard about court

If you google Ethiopian court closure, there is not much information except for what you learn from other people's blogs or what our agency has said. I've tried to compile some of the information here to get my head wrapped around this...

Every year, the courts close for about two months. Last year, this closed on August 21st and they started business again on October 12th. I'm not sure if they have officially announced the dates this year, but the buzz on the big yahoo group is that it could close August 10th or the 15th. Last year our agency posted the closing date in July, so it might be a few weeks before we know for sure.

I've heard different reasons for the courts to take such a long break. Here are some of the possibilities:

* To re-group and maybe get new judges.
* This also happens during their rainy season. During the months of July and August, thunderstorms occur almost daily with up to 12 inches of rain per month. The sun only shines around two to four hours a day. I would guess in a country were many do not have cars or electricity, this could greatly effect the way people live.
* On September 11th, it is the Ethiopian New Year celebration. This is a very important religious holiday with lots of singing and a big family meal.
* My guess...they probably need a break from the crazy ferengi "us white folk" who probably bug them constantly to speed things up :)

This court closure does not effect those that are on the wait list. Our agency still passes out referrals during the court closure. It only effects those with a referral and waiting to pass court. It takes about 6-8 weeks from referral to court date, so if we don't receive a referral pronto, then chances are court will close before we can get a date. This means if all things run smoothly, we might have a court date in October or November.

I have only read about one person receiving a court date after the new two trip rule. They explained on their blog that they have been given two courts dates. The first is a preliminary one to make sure all the paperwork is in order. The second date, about three weeks later, will be the one parents are invited to attend. I'm hoping this greatly increases the chance to pass court while we are in the country. That would make for an excellent trip!

There was a time last year where they thought the courts would not close, or only for a short time. It could be a possibility this year too. I guess we'll just have to wait and see!