The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia has enacted a new court fee regulation—Federal Courts Court Fee Regulation No. 1/2024—which officially repeals the previous regulation that had been in effect since 1952. This new regulation introduces a structured and detailed framework for court fee payments applicable in all federal courts, including the Federal First Instance Court, Federal High Court, and Federal Supreme Court. It also applies to federal matters adjudicated in the courts of Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa, as well as in state courts exercising concurrent jurisdiction.
Court Fee Obligations and Payment Methods
Under the new regulation, any party filing a suit—whether a statement of claim, counterclaim, appeal, cross-appeal, cassation, or execution application—is required to pay a court fee unless exempted by law. The fee must be paid before the case file is opened and numbered. Payment can be made through various methods including cash, bank transfer, credit card, debit card, or electronic payment systems, depending on what the court deems acceptable
Fee Structure for Monetary Claims
For suits involving monetary claims—defined as cases involving a specific amount of money or property that can be valued in monetary terms—the court fee is calculated as a percentage of the claim amount. The percentage decreases as the claim amount increases. The following is a summary of the fee schedule:
| Claim Amount (Birr) | Fee Percentage |
| 0 – 20,000 | 10% |
| 20,001 – 40,000 | 9% |
| 40,001 – 60,000 | 8% |
| 60,001 – 80,000 | 7% |
| 80,001 – 100,000 | 6% |
| 100,001 – 200,000 | 5% |
| 200,001 – 300,000 | 4.9% |
| 300,001 – 400,000 | 4.8% |
| 400,001 – 500,000 | 4.7% |
| 500,001 – 600,000 | 4.6% |
| 600,001 – 700,000 | 4.5% |
| 700,001 – 800,000 | 4.4% |
| 800,001 – 900,000 | 4.3% |
| 900,001 – 1,000,000 | 4.2% |
| 1,000,001 – 2,000,000 | 4.1% |
| 2,000,001 – 3,000,000 | 4.0% |
| 3,000,001 – 4,000,000 | 3.9% |
| 4,000,001 – 5,000,000 | 3.8% |
| 5,000,001 – 6,000,000 | 3.7% |
| 6,000,001 – 7,000,000 | 3.6% |
| 7,000,001 – 8,000,000 | 3.5% |
| 8,000,001 – 9,000,000 | 3.4% |
| 9,000,001 – 10,000,000 | 3.3% |
| 10,000,001 – 20,000,000 | 2.9% |
| 20,000,001 – 30,000,000 | 2.8% |
| 30,000,001 – 40,000,000 | 2.7% |
| 40,000,001 – 50,000,000 | 2.6% |
| 50,000,001 – 60,000,000 | 2.5% |
| 60,000,001 – 70,000,000 | 2.4% |
| 70,000,001 – 80,000,000 | 2.3% |
| 80,000,001 – 90,000,000 | 2.2% |
| 90,000,001 – 100,000,000 | 2.1% |
| 100,000,001 – 200,000,000 | 1.9% |
| 200,000,001 – 300,000,000 | 1.8% |
| 300,000,001 – 400,000,000 | 1.7% |
| 400,000,001 – 500,000,000 | 1.6% |
| 500,000,001 – 600,000,000 | 1.5% |
| 600,000,001 – 700,000,000 | 1.4% |
| 700,000,001 – 800,000,000 | 1.3% |
| 800,000,001 – 900,000,000 | 1.2% |
| 900,000,001 – 1,000,000,000 | 1.1% |
| Over 1,000,000,000 | 1.0% |
Fee Structure for Non-Monetary Claims
For claims that cannot be valued in monetary terms, the regulation sets fixed fees depending on the court level:
- Federal First Instance Court: 1,000 birr
- Federal High Court: 1,500 birr
- Federal Supreme Court: 2,000 birr
Additional fixed fees include:
- Application for temporary injunction or arbitrator appointment: 2,000 birr
- Application for leave to appeal or cassation out of time: 100 birr
- Approval of spousal property agreements: 500 birr
Fees for Appeals and Execution
Appeals are generally charged at 50% of the fee paid at the lower court. For example:
- If a case is appealed from the Federal First Instance Court to the Federal High Court, the appellant pays half of the original court fee.
- The same rule applies to appeals of arbitral awards and decisions by administrative bodies.
- Appeal against arbitral award in Federal High Court: 50% of the fee that would apply if filed in First Instance Court
- Appeal against arbitral award in Federal Supreme Court: 50% of the fee that would apply if filed in the High Court
Execution of Judgments and Foreign Decisions
- 0 – 100,000 birr: 300 birr
- 100,001 – 200,000 birr: 500 birr
- 200,001 – 500,000 birr: 1,000 birr
- 500,001 – 1,000,000 birr: 1,500 birr
- 1,000,001 – 10,000,000 birr: 2,000 birr
- Over 10,000,000 birr: 3,000 birr
- Non-monetary execution: 500 birr
- Execution of foreign judgments: same fee schedule as above
- Execution of arbitral awards and quasi-judicial decisions: same fee schedule as above
Additional Fees for Court Services
- Witness summons: 50 birr per witness
- Copy of court documents: 5 birr per page
- Intervention in a case: 1,000 birr
- Opposition to judgment: Equal to the original court fee
- Setting aside ex parte decisions: 500 birr
- Amendment of pleadings: If the amendment causes delay, the court may order the applicant to pay up to 10% of the already paid court fee, based on the court’s assessment of time and resources involved
Exemptions from Court Fees
The regulation exempts the following categories:
- Alimony and child custody applications
- Environmental protection cases
- Pauper suits (for those legally recognized as unable to pay)
- Criminal cases
- Judicial reviews by employees
- Public interest and human rights suits filed by civil society organizations
Disputes on the Amount of Court Fee
If there is a disagreement between the applicant and the court officer regarding the amount of the court fee:
- The matter is referred to the authorized registrar.
- The registrar must decide the issue on the same day after hearing both parties.
- If the applicant is dissatisfied, they may appeal to the bench hearing the case.
- If the case is already at the appellate or cassation level, the bench may review the fee paid at the lower court and order an adjustment or refund if necessary
This regulation is now in effect and applies to all new cases filed in federal courts. For clients seeking to initiate or respond to legal proceedings, understanding the applicable court fees is essential for proper case planning and budgeting.