Pashinyan says justice system reforms are difficult to envisage without a new Constitution

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said it is difficult to envisage resolving the country’s justice system problems without adopting a new Constitution.

Speaking at a briefing with reporters, Pashinyan was commenting on his earlier statement that justice and the judicial system in Armenia are accessible only to the elite.

Asked what tools the government intends to use to address the issue, given that Pashinyan’s political team has been in power for eight years, the prime minister said the legislative and executive branches cannot assume the role of the judiciary because of the constitutional principle of the separation of powers. 

“It is difficult for me to imagine solving these problems without a new Constitution. The new Constitution should introduce the institution of trial by jury,” Pashinyan said.

He added that all sitting judges should be granted the status of acting judges while undergoing a comprehensive integrity vetting process. 

“Those who fail the integrity screening simply should not be reappointed,” the prime minister said. 

According to Pashinyan, the judiciary is currently protected by the Constitution, limiting the ability of the executive and legislative branches to intervene. He noted that citizens primarily direct their dissatisfaction with the justice system at him, as public perception often associates responsibility with the head of government. 

Pashinyan argued that the judiciary remains Armenia’s least developed institution because the 2018 revolution had the least impact on that system. 

“The judiciary is the least developed of our institutions because the revolution had the least impact there, including due to constitutional constraints,” he said.