On 23 December 2022, the Constitutional Law on Making Amendments and Addenda to the Constitutional Law of the RA Judicial Code was adopted, which designs norms on the establishment of the Appellate Anti-Corruption Court to enter into force on 1 January 2024. In the context of the presented legal regulation, before the entry into force of the above-mentioned norm, a situation is created when anti-corruption cases are investigated by the specialized Anti-Corruption Court in the First Instance order, but the acts made in the same cases are re-examined by the Appellate Civil and Appellate Criminal Courts: the RA Deputy Minister of Justice Levon Balyan said during the reporting of the package of draft laws.
According to the Deputy Minister, the normal and full activity of the institute requires that the specialization factor be clearly expressed in all the courts equipped with the investigation of this type of cases earlier than the deadline set by the law, which is scheduled for June 15 of this year.
“At the same time, it became necessary to make appropriate amendments, that is, to set an earlier term (June 15) in the law of 23 December 2022 on Amending the Law on Remuneration of Persons Holding State Positions and State Service Positions:” the Deputy Minister of Justice stated.
The representative of the Ministry also considered it necessary to mention that the Government reviewed the package of drafts due to the need to make amendments in the relevant law regarding the entry into force of the provisions related to the Appellate Anti-Corruption Court.
Read also
The deputy of the Civil Contract Faction Arusyak Julhakyan inquired from the Deputy Minister why the Ministry of Justice, when adopting the law, set a late term for its implementation, in response to which Levon Balyan said that previously, they took into consideration the terms necessary for the creation of the building and property conditions of the Anti-Corruption Court, but organizational work is being carried out more intensively. The building of the Anti-Corruption Appellate Court is under construction, probably the work will be completed sooner.
The Chair of the Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs Vladimir Vardanyan noted that this is the first time during his 5-year parliamentary practice that deadlines have been brought forth.
The co-rapporteur Arusyak Julhakyan urged to approve the draft and to debate and understand whether the work on the creation of the Appellate Anti-Corruption Court will be completed by June during the first to second reading.
The package of draft laws was endorsed by the Committee and was included in the agenda of the upcoming plenary sittings.
National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia
