An interview with Advocate Gevorg Gyozalyan.
What was the most important legal event in 2015 according to you?
I think that the most important event of 2015 was the adoption of the new constitution that does not enjoy the same reputation as the former one for me. Why is this so? It is very simple: its legitimacy is at least questionable for me.
Has there been registered a positive progress in terms of justice in our country?
You know maybe there were one or two cases that could be described as a positive progress, but in general I haven’t observed any positive progress in relation to my cases. The courts always operated in the same manner: that is bad. The court cases have been considered in the first instance courts for years and the excuses that this is based on the workload of the courts are empty. Accepting that obvious fact (the workload) it is also to be stated that in many cases the courts themselves contribute to that workload by means of implementing shameful and low-quality justice, etc. It is only enough to study the cases of several judges and everything will be clear.
Has corruption increased or decreased in the legal sphere during 2015?
I cannot answer this question as I do not have any objective statistics, but I can state that nothing has changed in connection with the cases available in my office. I have even had a case when after the third court hearing the person was screaming that the judge was just interested in a case worth 100,000,000 AMD, and as during my practice I have got used to feeling a judge’s motivation after the second court session, I can say that nothing has changed for me.
Are you content with the activities carried out by legislative and executive bodies?
How is it possible to be content with the activities of the current executive and legislative bodies? In the case of the first one many issues remained up in the air, and in the second case one can definitely feel shameful for having such a Parliament just excluding a few deputies. I think that the Armenian people is much better that its so called representatives.
What do you expect from 2016?
I have no special expectations. I hope that the peace will be maintained due to God’s power.
What is the scandalous court case of the year?
My office has had two scandalous cases and still has: one of them is concerned with Apinyan, the judge of the court of Kentron Administrative District, and the other is related to the judge of Shengavit District, Kubanyan. I believe that in 2016 I will do everything possible prescribed by law at least not to allow the prevalence of a subjective factor in the process as a result of which not only the interests of justice suffer, but also human faith is lost, but this is a different topic.
What funny and interesting cases do you remember from your practice?
You know during the advocacy practice when you are trying to avoid any contact with the judges and to do your job based solely on your own knowledge, it can be stated that the majority of your cases are ridiculous as the final result of a court case is not connected with the actual process. And if I try to remember a specific case, it is related to Mr. Uzunyan, the Chairman of the Court of Avan and Nor Nork Administrative Districts. When I was trying to present the second recusal mediation, he, unlike many judges, said with his typical wit: “Say Gyozalyan, don’t keep it to yourself. You are young, bring it out of yourself and save your health.” And he accepted the recusal mediation in the same humorous way stating, of course, that he is impartial in the case but in order to help dispel my doubts he announced a recusal.
How do you celebrate the New Year?
I always celebrate the New Year with my family, at home, in a warm atmosphere.
What interesting memories can you tell in connection with the New Year?
Perhaps I can remember a case when I was celebrating the New Year of 1999-2000 with my friends when I was serving in the army. On that occasion one of my friends had obtained vodka and naturally it occupied the middle of the table, its most honorable place (it refers to a 2-liter bottle of vodka). Meanwhile there was a bottle of a coca cola filled with water which was placed under the table. Let me also say that one of the officers of Karabakh, whom we called Captain Jack, was on duty at that time. He was an officer over fifty and his name was Valera, however we called him Captain Jack. He was a very good person but at the same time was very strict. Thus at about one o’clock at night when one of my friends was drinking the toasts of the parents, including mothers-in-law, Captain Jack opens the door with a kick and in his typical Karabakh dialect he tried to find out whether we were drinking the vodka or not. And as all of us said that we were not drinking, he asked “what is this” by pointing to the bottle of vodka placed on the table. And we answered that it was water. By coming in and seeing the bottle of coca cola under the table he picked it with a typical smile on his face and tasted it being sure that he had caught us. Understanding that it was water he was heading to the door when he saw a piece of cork of a bottle of vodka. He came back, announced an alarm and we had to run with respirators and our weapons for three hours. That is it. Though now I am proud of the Karabakh army of our times, as it could not be otherwise.
