The Most Immediate Danger to Armenia Comes from the Judicial System, Says Pashinyan

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan assures that the government has not abandoned the idea of vetting, but simply changed its name. Speaking at a press conference in Vanadzor, he noted that the composition of the Supreme Judicial Council has been significantly strengthened, which is also within the context of vetting.

“In essence, an anti-corruption strategy has already been formed, which describes the process known as vetting. We just realized along the way that the term vetting focuses more on the name than on the substance, so we decided not to use the word,” he said.

According to the Prime Minister, the mechanisms of vetting are incorporated into the anti-corruption strategy. “In the near future, we are going to establish two anti-corruption bodies, one of which will deal with the property analysis of judges and other officials, while the other commission, together with the Supreme Judicial Council, will assess the professional qualifications of judges,” continued Pashinyan.

Pashinyan believes that the issue of judicial authority in Armenia is urgent, but during serious discussions, he understood that the approach should include both surgical and institutional changes.

“We should not end up addressing the issue in a haphazard manner, resulting merely in a change of the problem’s formulation. Ultimately, our goal is to have an independent judicial system. We must ensure that at no point does the judicial system, previously dependent on the former authorities, becomes dependent on our government,” concluded Nikol Pashinyan.