NEW QUALIFYING EXAMS FOR ADVOCATES

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[04:44 pm] 11 October, 2006

After an interval of five years licensing exams were held for advocates
in Armenia. 75 points of the overall 100 was considered the passing
threshold. The pretenders took written and oral exams. Of all the
310 applicants only 207 passed the threshold of the qualifying exams.

As for who will get license, chairman of the Chamber of Advocates
Ruben Sahakyan and President of the qualifying committee Yenoq Azaryan
found it difficult to say. They represented the course of the exams
in every detail and claimed that everything was extremely fair and
transparent. The procedure excluded any possibility of promptings
or supporting the applicants. The tests were made by computer,
enveloped immediately after printing without even reading and sealed
with two seals.

By the way, Mrs. Catharine Matis, the chairman of the US Chamber of
Advocates, also arrived in Armenia in order to follow the course of
the exams. She was on the whole content with the organization of the
exams and claimed that the US Court system has gained its independence
thanks to the institute of advocates.

Ruben Sahakyan thinks that advocates can make a revolution in Armenia
too in case they are more active, "We lived 70 years in the USSR
and another 16 years in independent Armenia. The court system of the
United States was formed during 230 years. I’m sure that in about 100
years we will have an independent court system too", Mr. Sahakyan said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress