OSCE OFFICE PRESENTS BOOK ON JUDICIAL SYSTEMS TO SUPPORT ARMENIAN JUDICIAL REFORMS

Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe (OSCE)

Nov 16 2006

YEREVAN, 15 November 2006 – An OSCE-supported book describing the
judicial systems of 33 Council of Europe countries was launched in
Yerevan as part of a project that aims to raise awareness of the
benefits of advanced legal systems.

"Given the ongoing judicial reforms in Armenia, I believe this is a
timely publication and it will be a useful tool for lawyers to take
stock of where other OSCE countries stand in reforming their judicial
systems," said Ambassador Vladimir Pryakhin, the Head of the OSCE
Office in Yerevan.

The book, an Armenian translation of the Council of Europe manual,
was prepared by the Training Centre of the General Prosecutor’s Office
with support from the OSCE Office in Yerevan and the OSCE’s Office
for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).

"I am encouraged to see that Armenia is taking steps to strengthen
the work of the courts in the field of investigation and general
court proceedings, said Berry Kralj, Chief of the ODIHR’s Rule of
Law Unit. "Independent and impartial courts are the best guarantors
of a fair trial and a democratic system based on the rule of law,"

The manual is intended primarily for lawyers, judges, prosecutors,
students and non-governmental organizations. Copies can be obtained
through the OSCE Office in Yerevan or the Training Centre of the
General Prosecutor’s Office.