Pashinyan reiterates Armenia’s dedication to having independent judiciary

YEREVAN, APRIL 11, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian Government has abolished the previously widespread practice when the judiciary was guided by the government. Now, the incumbent government is dedicated to the agenda of having an independent judiciary, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at the spring session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in response to question from a delegate whether the Armenian judiciary is independent.

“Issues related to the judiciary are the most urgent ones for us, our country, our government, because the revolution took place in the political system of Armenia, but a revolution has not taken place in the judiciary. I can reassure you that it is an issue of key significance for us to have a 100% independent judiciary without any conditions or conditionality, the decisions and verdicts of which will be trustworthy not only for the Armenian society but also the international community,” Pashinyan said.

The Armenian PM also noted that recently an EU delegation had arrived in Armenia and he was directly asked up to what point is the Armenian government ready to go to make the judiciary independent. The PM said he responded by saying the government is ready to go till the end.

“We understand that without a truly undisputable independent judiciary we cannot finally and irreversibly guarantee the institutional and continuous strengthening. Do we have this kind of a judiciary today? Unfortunately I can’t give a 100% guarantee today. But I can 100% guarantee that our government has abolished, has stopped the allegedly existing practice when the judiciary was guided by the government, we have completely rejected this practice,” he said.

The PM said the government is dully dedicated to having an independent judiciary.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan