Armenian President Rejects Judicial Code Amendments Which Provoked Opposition Protests

Armenian President Rejects Judicial Code Amendments Which Provoked Opposition Protests

Armenian President Armen Sarkissian rejected the amendments to the Judicial Code and the Law on the Academy of Justice, which provoked opposition protests, and appealed to the Constitutional Court to check their compliance with the constitution, the Armenian leader's office said on Wednesday

YEREVAN (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th February, 2021) Armenian President Armen Sarkissian rejected the amendments to the Judicial Code and the Law on the academy of Justice, which provoked opposition protests, and appealed to the Constitutional Court to check their compliance with the constitution, the Armenian leader's office said on Wednesday.

On February 3, the Armenian parliament adopted in the second and final reading the specified amendments, providing for the introduction of the institution of judges, which will only consider cases related to control over pre-trial proceedings, including those related to arrest as a preventive measure, establishing the legality of detention. According to the amendments, new judges were also allowed to consider applications for searches. The opposition considered the amendments "political, anti-constitutional, anti-legal," claiming that pro-government judges will be appointed to the newly created positions.

The press service of the Armenian leader said that the laws had been sent to the president for signature on February 4 and were analyzed by his administration officials, independent experts and lawyers. As a result, "the amendments were considered problematic from the point of view of constitutionality."

"The President of the Republic did not sign the laws and, with appropriate legal justifications and arguments, appealed to the Constitutional Court to determine their compliance with the constitution," the statement says.