Helewena Nesru, aged 39, currently serves as a Judge in the Federal High Court. She attained her LLM in Business Law from Addis Ababa University, an MA in Gender and Development Studies from Bahir Dar University, and an LLB, also from Bahir Dar University. Born to parents who were both educators, she completed her primary and secondary education in Addis Ababa before enrolling in university in 1995, achieving outstanding results with a GPA of 3.8.
With a wealth of experience in the legal field, she began her career as a public prosecutor in Guraghe Zone in the year 2000. Subsequently, from 2001 to 2003, she served as a Regional High Court Judge in the same zone. Moving to Addis Ababa City Court from 2003 to 2008, she handled a wide array of criminal and civil cases, while also assuming roles such as Bench Coordinator and Gender Office Focal Person.
Since the summer of 2008, Helewena has served as a Federal High Court Judge. During this tenure, she has presided over numerous civil and criminal cases at the appellate level and has held positions such as Presiding Judge of the 1st Anti-Corruption Bench and the 3rd Homicide Bench. Notably, from 2014 to 2015, she was one of only four high court judges appointed by the Judicial Administration Council to serve as a temporary Supreme Court judge.
Helewena has actively pursued further education and professional development, participating in various training programs and workshops focusing on topics such as human trafficking, gender-based violence, transnational crimes, and migration. Notably, she attended an international training on human trafficking and smuggling organized by IGAD, and more recently, participated in a three-day regional meeting of IGAD on extradition and mutual legal assistance.
In addition to her legal expertise, Helewena possesses excellent communication skills, is known for her friendliness and teamwork, and thrives in high-pressure environments. She is a member of the International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ) and has been selected to participate in the Rising Leaders’ Cohort Initiation for Young Lawyers.
Given her educational background in Law and Gender and Development Studies, coupled with her extensive experience in various legal roles, Helewena aspires to contribute her expertise and skills to the strengthening of the rule of law in her country.