The Legal Framework for Electronic Contracts in Ethiopia

Contracts are obviously at the heart of any commerce. The way contracts are concluded, executed, varied and notified is affected by the societal level of industrial and technological developments. Modern Information Communication Technologies, especially Internet, are widely employed at any contract phase. But contract laws were promulgated at the time when Internet communications were unknown. As a result, conventional contract laws exhibit deficiency to regulate the emerging electronic contracts. In the same fashion, the Ethiopian Civil Code is unacquainted to accommodate electronic contracts. Thus, this book explores the legal issues that spring from administering electronic contracts which compels to revisit the old laws. It has five chapters, generally covering background of the study, legal notion of electronic contracts, legal issues sourced from emergence of electronic contracts, conclusion and recommendations. The book is based on my LL.M thesis supported by practical investigation. It has paramount significance to lawyers, marketers, business persons, technologists, governors and other interested individuals on the area.