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At March 19 extraordinary sitting convened in parliament the legislative package on Making Amendments and Addenda to the Constitutional Law the RA Judicial Code authored by a group of deputies of the NA My Step Faction on which the deputies delivered speeches.

Taron Simonyan: Now, we are standing before the problems, its ignoring is fraught with dangers, and we are engaged with the draft laws brought forth. Today, we shall solve other problem. We shall not increase the judges’ dependence under the name of the judicial independence. The judges shall be independent from each other and be also independent from the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC).

Edmon Marukyan: The judicial system gets deteriorated once again with this draft law. I don’t imagine how we can be for the draft law restricting the lawyer’s rights. On one hand, the judge is restricted, on the other hand powers are given to the SJC to be engaged with that case. I think it will be fine if the draft law is called back, because problems will occur with this.

Nikolay Baghdasaryan: Today we have this kind of situation, that the decisions made by the judges are equal to the absurd genre. I want to record that this draft law has disadvantages and problem of certainty, but we should thank the authors too, because there are some provisions in the bill which are really necessary and applicable.

Karen Simonyan: That persistence continues to amaze me putting mines in the legislation, which will be exploded in the future causing a lot of problems. The legislative package has numerous problems which are necessary to separately discuss and not on such short terms.

Ani Samsonyan: It is already three years that My Step Faction has gone after the courts by all legal and illegal means. Every time when you take a step against the courts, that step sets apart us further from the opportunity of having an independent judiciary stable system.

Nazeli Baghdasaryan: We design, with proposing regulations that the SJC will be able to institute disciplinary proceedings. Is it possible to look at the body instituting the proceedings and the body making a final decision in the same way and to concentrate all this in the hands of one body? I think it is disputable.

Arman Babajanyan: I am sure that the bill includes, in a way, some vetting elements. I will always be for any sensible proposals directed to the healing of the judicial system. Of course, it is also a problem to leave the whole burden on the SJC, but, nevertheless, the bill is one step ahead.

Vladimir Vardanyan: Yes, the courts must be independent. This is an axiom, and it is not disputable. The courts must be independent from the executive, legislative and other bodies, any outside pressure, but not from the law. In this country, the judge must be the most respected man, and we must always have affection towards the judge, because he implements for the sake of the RA Justice.

Heriknaz Tigranyan: I think that some provisions of the draft law need to be reviewed by the revision of which we all will come to the conclusion that sometimes the SJC must have such a control mechanism by the help of which it can ensure the right of the case of the person standing before the fair court.

Taguhi Tovmasyan: Artsakh is the warrant of Armenia.

Gor Gevorgyan: It is necessary to move from the parliamentary government model to the presidential government.