DEFENDANTS ARE RICHER THAN DEFENDERS

24/masis-ghazanchyan
02:00 pm | February 24, 2010

Social

Not only sociably vulnerable people but also wealthy people apply to
a public defender in Armenia.

"A pesron getting free aid picks up his defender in luxurious cars
like Limousine or Mercedes. Courts have no time to clarify whether
the person is solvent or not. I think some mechanism must be worked
out in this context," Masis Ghazanchyan, Head of the Publuc Defender
Office, told A1+.

"Today 37 legal services render asssitance to people in Armenia with
17 operating in Yerevan and the others in marzes. Public defenders are
over-busy these days which is conditioned by the increase of crimes.

Each public defender studies 11-12 cases a week. They become
overexhausted," noted Mr. Ghazanchyan.

The head of the Publuc Defender Office says the office needs to be
reinforced with new advocates. By the state budget 156 million drams
have been allotted to the office this year. The salary of a public
defender is 293 906 drams though Mr. Ghazanchyan says the high salary
does not make public defenders work diligently.

"We have some defenders in marzes with whom I would eagerly break the
contract, but I cannot do is as they have no substitutes. We really
have no reserve. For example, there are no defenders in Meghri. In
Syunik, Sisian, Goris and Kapan defenders are employed half-time.

Occasionally people refuse from the service of a public defender."

Public defender Siranuysh Harutyunyan says today people are more
informed of the service and apply to public defenders more frequently.

"They know that they will not have to pay extra money when a public
defender deals with their case. We have had many achievements,
acquitted many defenders and dismissed numerous cases on different
grounds," she said.