First-time Offenders of Serious Crimes May Be Exempt from Liability: New Draft by 'Zhoghovurd'

'Zhoghovurd' newspaper reports: 'A person committing a serious or particularly serious crime for the first time may be exempt from criminal liability. This provision is proposed by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia. Specifically, it is suggested to amend Article 81 of the Criminal Code of Armenia (Exemption from Criminal Liability on the Basis of Genuine Regret) by adding a subsection 1.1. This amendment would stipulate that in cases where a person’s first-time crime falls under serious or particularly serious offenses, the individual may be exempted from criminal liability if exceptional circumstances related to their role in the crime, their behavior during and after committing the crime, and other related factors are present. This exemption would be possible if the individual cooperates with criminal prosecution authorities, does not contest the accusation against them, and compensates or otherwise remedies the harm caused by the crime, if applicable.

It is noteworthy that according to the Criminal Code of Armenia, serious crimes are defined as those intentionally committed acts for which the maximum penalty does not exceed ten years of imprisonment. Particularly serious crimes are those for which the maximum penalty exceeds ten years of imprisonment or includes life imprisonment.

The justification states that given the current burden on pre-trial investigative bodies, such legal regulation is essential as it significantly reduces the workload of both investigative authorities and courts. In other words, it appears that to alleviate the burden on courts, opportunities are provided for serious offenders to be exempt from liability.'

For further details, see today's issue of the newspaper.