5-YEAR DEVELOPMENT PLAN OF CHAMBER OF ADVOCATES WORKED OUT
ARKA
April 21, 2008
YEREVAN, APRIL 21, NOYAN TAPAN. At the General Assembly of the RA
Chamber of Advocates (CA) on February 19, a decision was made to
join the Council of Bars & Law Societies of Europe (CCBE) and to
adopt the rules of ethics of the CCBE. The chairman of the CA Ruben
Sahakian announced that the CCBE Permanent Committee allowed that
while not being a member of the EU, the RA Chamber of Advocates may
be included as an observer member of the CCBE. The CA will receive
status of observer member during CCBE General Assembly to be held
in Budapest on May 12, which will enable the CA to integrate into
European processes on advocacy.
The Chamber’s new Qualification Commission composed of 6 members was
elected by vote during the General Assembly.
In his report on the 2006-2007 work of the Chamber’s Council,
R. Sahakian said that the first step was development and adoption of a
strategical plan: with the financing of the USAID and in cooperation
with the American Bar Association, two experts were invited to
Armenia. Being assisited by nearly 100 lawyers, representatives of
NGOs, courts and prosecutor’s office, they made an assessment of the
CA’s needs. A 5-year development plan was worked out.
The CA appointed Paris-based Raffi Galfayan as its representative
for establishing and ensuring cooperation abroad. 60 French Armenian
lawyers also provide support for their partners in Armenia. The Chamber
cooperates with lawyers of the U.S. and Belgium as well. A number of
foreign lawyers have been accredited to the CA. Among them is French
Armenian lawyer R.
Yezeguelian, who expressed a desire to support the CA by allocating
1,600 dollars a month (since January 2008).
It was stated that thanks to the British embassy in Armenia, the CA
has obtained a big-screen television set and now has the opportunity
to organize live TV bridges with bar structures of other states. It is
envisaged to hold the first TV bridge on May 10 with London lawyers
specialized in submitting appeals to the European Court of Human
Rights. The RA CA cooperates closely with the Chamber of Advocates of
the Nagorno Karabakh Republic and provides methodological assistance
to it.
Another goal of the strategical program is to establish the structure
of public defender. The head of the Public Defender Office Misha
Piliposian said that in 2007 the office received 184 applications,
including 127 ones from isolation cells. He underlined the necessity
to increase the number of public defenders in marzes. In particular,
the matter concerns the Vanadzor office where two lawyers have 85
cases each.
The chairman of the RA Constitutional Court Gagik Harutyunian
considered making frequent amendments, in particular, to the Criminal
Code and the Civil Code, as a serious problem. In the past two years,
over 10 articles of these codes have been recognized as contradicting
the Constitution. "We had to raise this issue before the officials of
the RA National Assembly, saying that amendments (which are necessary
to revise in 2-3 days) cannot be made without serious examination,
without a concept. These amendments are related to people, to human
rights, and restoration of violated rights is extremely difficult
later," G. Harutyunian said. He expressed concern that based on new
circumstances, cases are either not re-examined, or the norm, which
has been recognized as anticonstitutional, is put aside, and the
person’s right remains violated even in case when court has used an
anticonstitutional norm with respect to this person. In the words of
G. Harutyunian, the National Assembly speaker has promised to create
a special group which will examine in detail the legal positions of
the RA Constitutioanl Court on this issue, as well as other issues
on improvement of the legislation.
During the General Assembly, titles and orders of honorary members of
the CA were awarded to a number of persons, including the CC chairman
Gagik Harutyunian, for their long assistance to and cooperation with
the Chamber of Advocates.