RA President: The Supreme Judicial Council should justify not only  the expectations of those people who designed this Council, but also  the expectations of the public of Armenia

ArmInfo.The Supreme Judicial Council should justify not only the expectations of those people who designed this Council, but also the expectations of the public of Armenia. The President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan stated this yesterday during the meeting with the first composition of the Supreme Judicial Council.

According to him, quotes the presidential press office, less than a  month remains until the day when the members of the Council formally  will be honored to represent this constitutional body. "I think that  being elected to the first composition of the Council doubles the  responsibility, since you have to deal with the formation of this  body, and it depends very much on the establishment of this  independent body in our country. I personally congratulate you, Mr.  Harutyunyan. For the foreseeable future, the Supreme Judicial Council  will outline its way of becoming and will take its rightful place in  the system of our state bodies and not only. I am sure that a certain  time will pass and already on the international arena, the Supreme  Court of Justice of Armenia will be recognized as the venue," Serzh  Sargsyan said.

As Sargsyan emphasized, the role of the Justice Council was  originally intended to enhance the concept of constitutional changes.  However, taking into account the independence of the judiciary, the  professional council proposed, in the end, to create an agency that  would bear responsibility in the matter of increasing the  independence of the courts and judges. "This does not mean that we  underestimated the role of the Council of Justice in the development  of our judicial system, and I should also say that the Council of  Justice has made its contribution during these twenty years."  Whatever problems our society, I personally, or whatever they had no  opinion on the issue of independence and fair verdicts of the  judicial system, nevertheless, our judicial system today can not be  compared with what was ten or fifteen years ago," the RA President  said.

According to the Armenian leader, those bodies that are endowed with  large powers provided for in the Constitution should also bear a  great responsibility. There is no other way. "This approach concerns  not only the Supreme Judicial Council, but all the state bodies  stipulated by the same Constitution." The semi- presidential system  has decided on certain tasks in the development of our country, but,  believe me, this is not the best system for development. We speak and  will speak in the future that the country can have a great speed, a  great rate of development under any control system. This is true, but  the truth is also that decades-tested mechanisms can contribute to  have very great powers, you will be the only body that will choose  and appoint judges, you will also be the only body that will  terminate the powers or call the judges to account. I want to wish  you determination and express hope that none of you will try to be  kind-hearted, in the sense that kindness does not mean forgiving  mistakes, being kind and kind-hearted never means not seeing problem  that becomes systemic, which harms state. I think none of you doubts  that for the development of the state justice is simply of primary  importance, be it economy, politics or another sphere," Serzh  Sargsyan said.

According to him, the Council has one more feature - it was formed on  the principle of equality. The Council includes both practicing  judges who have many years of experience, as well as academic  lawyers.  "I am sure that you are fully aware that you are not  representatives of two different groups, and especially for the  public you must appear as a single body, otherwise it will interfere  with the work of the Supreme Judicial Council and will only do harm.  How much do you want to argue, debate during the meetings of your  council, in your offices, but protecting the interests of the most  important part of our legal system is the interests of the court. We  must achieve a high level of justice. This is the task set before us.  The approach, the approach of a person who, in detail, always  participated with the professional council in discussions and had a  great desire to create an agency that can have a significant role in  the development of the independence of our courts: Independence, but  not of everything, but being accountable to the law. First of all,  the court must answer before the law, because if he teaches others to  be accountable before the law, obliges others to comply with the  entire scope of the law, first of all he himself must be so. This is  a very clear thing, I must say - do as I do. Once again, I want to  congratulate all of you and wish you success. I am confident that the  Council will be held in the foreseeable future," the RA President  said.

Gagik Harutyunyan, Chairman of the Supreme Judicial Council, on his  behalf and on behalf of the Council members expressed gratitude to  the President for having met with members of the Council, for  congratulations and good wishes, within the framework of his  constitutional function to ensure the normal functioning of the  legislative, executive, judicial authorities. Gagik Harutyunyan  assured that all members of the Council are ready to start working  with an undivided sense of duty and responsibility in order to  justify the expectations that exist from this new body. "We discussed  with your colleagues, and you stressed, dear President, the important  fact that there is no difference now, council members from courts,  from the university, from science." There is a single responsibility  to the people to gain confidence and as soon as possible to register  positive results. A serious, loaded work is expected," said the  chairman of the Supreme Judicial Council and said that despite the  remaining less than a month before the adoption of powers of Council,  in fact, the Council has already begun preparatory work, without  which, according to Gagik Harutyunyan, it would be difficult to  implement in time the expected volume of work quickly to find  solutions to the key challenges.