GOVERNMENT APPROVES CHANGES TO CRIMINAL CODE

Armenpress

YEREVAN, JULY 13, ARMENPRESS: The government has approved today a
justice ministry-designed bill on making changes to Armenian Criminal
Code which allows courts to cancel a long list of private cases in
case the plaintiff and the defendant reach a reconciliation accord.

The list includes such offences as sustaining health damage,
stealth of personal property, torture, breach of copyright and some
others. Justice minister David Harutunian said the reconciliation
deal must be reached before the judge leaves the court-room for
deciding the verdict. The draft law fixes that forcing people to
strike reconciliation is a criminal offence.

Another draft amendment in the Criminal Code establishes a special
court hearing procedure allowing judges to cut the punishment term
by one third if the defendant admits both the charges levied against
him and the evidence of prosecutors.

The minister argued that any court proceeding costs money and if
a defendant cooperates with prosecutors which allows to cut these
expenses the government must meet him or her halfway. He said the
special procedure applies to those crimes which envisage a prison
term up to ten years.