Armenia's Presidential decree on selection of candidates for post of ECHR judge invalidated

YEREVAN, JANUARY 13, ARMENPRESS: Armenia's President Serzh Sargsyan today issued a decree to invalidate the Republic of Armenia Presidential Decree of October 13 2014 Approving the List of Winners of the Contest for Selection of Candidates Nominated by the Republic of Armenia for the Post of Judge at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

The press service of the Armenian President's Office informed Armenpress that as a result of the contest conducted in 2014, Armen Harutyunyan, Ara Ghazaryan and Vigen Qocharyan received the highest total scores, but for the purpose of gender representation, the contest committee decided to replace Vigen Qocharyan, the candidate with the lowest total score, with Nelik Harutyunyan, the female participant with the highest total score.

The list of winners of the contest was approved by a Republic of Armenia presidential decree, according to which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia must submit the list – together with the necessary documents and in conformity with the requirements and procedures - to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

As part of the procedures defined by the Council of Europe, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia has been provided with the opinion of the Expert Advisory Group on Selection of Candidates for Judge at the ECHR which stipulates that the candidates of different genders included in the list must equally and fully meet all the requirements set forth in Part I of Article 21 of the European Convention on Human Rights, including the criterion for being a renowned and knowledgeable lawyer.

Adhering to its international obligations and taking into account the advisory opinion of the body authorized by the Council of Europe, the Republic of Armenia has not submitted the list of contest winners to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

According to the order defined by law, the presidential decree which was issued today triggers the need to conduct a new contest for selection of candidates nominated by the Republic of Armenia for the post of judge at the ECHR.