YEREVAN, September 27. /ARKA/. Armenia's Justice Minister Rustam Badasyan denied today allegations of biased treatment of judicial authority by the government.
Earlier this year Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that courts were the remnants of the former corrupt authorities and that people had no trust in the judiciary and therefore it lacked legitimacy. He said the time came for a surgical intervention with all judges to be subjected to a thorough vetting during a "transitional" period.’
Later, on September 16, Pashinyan stated that solving the problems of the judicial system was still a priority, however, it should be solved not by "surgical intervention", of which he had spoken earlier, but by institutional transformations. Pashinyan said also he counted on the assistance of Armenia's international partners in implementing the judiciary reform which he said is the "second and most important stage of the revolution."
“The prime minister’s statements should be viewed in context, and not presented as pressure on all judges or the entire judicial system. There is no bias against the judiciary, and disciplinary proceedings will only be instituted if a petition is submitted to the High Judicial Council and if we consider the violations very serious," Badasyan said.
He said the Ministry of Justice is initiating a process of judicial and legal reforms designed for 2019-2023, which will be extended also to related structures, including the Prosecutor General’s Office, the investigative staff, the Judicial Enforcement Service, etc.
According to Badasyan, all measures are aimed at increasing public confidence in the judicial system through transitional justice, election reforms and other changes. He also pointed out the need to increase the availability of courts and the introduction of e-justice, which would significantly accelerate judicial procedures.
"That is why we attach importance to the introduction and use of electronic tools, as they will significantly reduce the burden on the courts and litigation processes," Badasyan said. The minister noted that judges who faithfully fulfill their duties will receive material support and social guarantees and will be able to continue their work.
"We are being criticized for concentration on the past, but this is the result of misunderstanding of the transitional justice. We intend to identify all corruption phenomena that did not contribute to the development of the economy and justice and introduce mechanisms to exclude them," Badasyan said. -0-