DAVID HAROUTIUNIAN: ARMENIAN JUDGES WILL HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL IN ACCEPTING GIFTS
AZG Armenian Daily #140, 27/07/2006
Judiciary Reforms
>From now on the Armenian judges will have to be very careful in
accepting gifts, Armenian Justice Minister David Haroutyunian said
during a press-conference today.He said that the Justice Ministry
16-member working group set up in Mar 2006 has already drafted a
package of court system reforms. One of the key points is that the
Armenian judges must abstain from accepting any kinds of gifts. They
can do this only during weddings, their own birthdays and birthdays
of their relatives but then too they should report on gifts to the
Commission on Ethics. Haroutyunian said that from now on the first
instance courts will specialize in criminal, economic and other
cases. The Economic Court will be dissolved, the Court of Cassation
divided into two chambers of three judges each. From now on it will
be the authority of the Council of Justice to announce vacancies
and to test applicants for judges. Of 25 judges passing the exam
the Council will select 16 ones and will submit the list for the
President’s approval. However, they will enter into their offices
only after completing a 1.5-year training course at special School of
Judges.Haroutyunian said that judges have no right to have private
businesses or to hold some paid position. They must be politically
neutral and not affiliated to any party. They can take part in
elections only as voters or electoral commissioners.
At the same time, Haroutyunian refused to comment on his future
political activities saying that this was not the topic of the
discussion.
By Nana Petrosian