Two legal codes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Two legal codes - Essay Example The law code which was improved to benefit the Roman subjects a few years later came to be known as the Lex Romana Burgundinum. This paper will analyze the two law codes and will focus on their similarities and differences. The Hammurabi law code was based on the presumption of innocence and gives both the accuser and the accused to provide evidence. This is evident in several parts of the code. For example, the third law states, â€Å"If any one bring an accusation of any crime before the elders, and does not prove what he has charged, he shall, if it be a capital offense charged, be put to death† (fordham.edu par. 65). Another example of the code’s presumption of innocence is in the eleventh law that states, â€Å"If the owner do not bring witnesses to identify the lost article, he is an evil-doer, he has traduced, and shall be put to death† (fordham.edu par. 65). Apart from the presumption of innocence, the Hammurabi law code had strength in that it considered evidence an important part of judgment. This is evident in many of the laws one of which is the tenth law that states, If the purchaser does not bring the merchant and the witnesses before whom he bought the article, but its owner bring witnesses who identify it, then the buyer is the thief and shall be put to death, and the owner receives the lost article. (fordham.edu par. 65). The Hammurabi law code characteristically is associated with harsh punishments for those found at fault. In many cases, the death penalty is applied for crimes that would otherwise be punished through less punitive measures. For example, the 11th law dictates that failure to bring a witness when one is claiming for an article is punishable by death. To a great extent, the code was based on the notion of an eye for an eye. In several instants, the law demands payments or retribution in compensation for actions committed by a person against another. One example of this is the 200th law that states, â€Å"If a

Ethiopia and Eritrea Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Ethiopia and Eritrea - Research Paper Example After about four decades of enjoyment of its sovereign right, Ethiopia is once more on the verge of permanently becoming a landlocked country. The present governing body of Ethiopia has approved and signed the Algiers Agreement that might make their nation landlocked (Healy & Plaut, 2007). If the opposition, triumphs in the next election or any election afterward, it might officially condemn the Algiers Agreement and insist on a new arrangement that identifies the right of accessing the sea. It is deemed accessing the sea is one of the burning topics that contributed to the achievement of the opposition and the decreasing support of the government in the last election. In this thesis, this paper will argue that Ethiopia has a legal right of accessing the sea as accepted by the regulations of the UN General Assembly of 1950, which was executed accordingly by merging Eritrea to Ethiopia. This paper recognizes the right of self-government along with the independence of the Eritrean citizens. Even though, it recognizes the independence of Eritrea, it also recognizes the sovereign right of accessing the sea by Ethiopia. The legal system that governs the territorial disagreements between Eritrea and Ethiopia is the treaty between UN and Ethiopia. The treaty was also referred to as the agreement between Ethiopia and the Victorious Four Powers of World War II in line with Eritrea, which was merged to Ethiopia, in 1952. The citizens of Eritrea fought for their fate and have become sovereign. Their desires have been accomplished by the blood that they paid during the fight for their independence (Healy & Plaut, 2007). The treaty of the Four Powers and Ethiopia is about the deliberation of the security of East Africa and the rightful need of Ethiopia to access the sea. In reality, the main purpose and objective of the treaty is the right of Ethiopia to access the sea. However, the people who appear to benefit mainly from the treaty are the Eritreans. The basis of any agreement that is meant to resolve the territorial disagreements between Eritrea and Ethiopia should adapt the recommendation of the United Nations General Assembly of 1950, as well as the international law, which gives Ethiopia the right to access the sea. Background The Horn of Africa, which comprises of Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti and Somalia, is approximately three-quarters of a million square miles in the northeast of Africa (Interna tional Group Crisis, 2003). The region borders hundreds of kilometers of the Arabian Sea. It also lies along the southern border of the Gulf of Aden. Ethiopia stands at the center of the Horn of Africa. The country is bordered by Eritrea 912 km, Djibouti 349 km, Somalia 1600 km and Kenya 861 km, as well as Sudan 1606 km. The country shares diverse cultural groups with its neighbors (International Group Crisis, 2003). There is a wide range of ethnic groups living in Ethiopia, Kenya and Sudan. The