Large Expenses for the New Court: "Zhoghovurd"

The Ministry of Justice of Armenia yesterday presented a package of draft amendments to the "Judicial Code of the Republic of Armenia" and the "Constitutional Law on the Rules of Procedure of the National Assembly" for public discussion. This package proposes the establishment of a specialized anti-corruption court with a minimum of 25 judges, where 20 will handle cases related to corruption crimes, while 5 will address cases arising from applications and claims based on the law regarding the confiscation of illegally obtained property.

However, the changes included in the package do not stop there. If the drafts are adopted, the selection process for candidates for prosecutors will also undergo reforms. Thus, the package sets stricter limitations on who can be appointed as judges of the Anti-Corruption Court and the Court of Appeal, particularly considering any disciplinary sanctions received.

At the same time, the package proposes that judges of the Court of Appeal be offered higher salaries compared to other judges. As mentioned earlier, the integrity review will not only be applicable to candidates for judges but also to those included in the promotion list for becoming judges of the Court of Appeal or the Supreme Court, as well as candidates for prosecutors.

It is noteworthy that the establishment of this court is part of the Anti-Corruption Strategy and its implementation program for the years 2019-2022. Furthermore, alongside the draft, the ministry has also presented the projected expenses associated with it. Thus, for the years 2021-2023, salaries, utility costs, and administrative expenses will amount to 3 billion 339 million 529 thousand drams, while technical equipment for judges will cost 198 million drams, transport provisions will cost 321 million drams, and facility costs will reach 2 billion 800 million drams. These are, of course, preliminary estimates.

It should be added that the deadline for public discussions is set for August 15.