After the President of the Republic of Armenia signed the Law on Making Amendments to the Constitutional Law on Constitutional Court, the Public Relations Department of the Presidential Administration received inquiries from a number of media outlets as to whether such a decision was made by the President, was there any pressure upon the President on signing the law, have the various views expressed taken into account in the decision on signing of the law, and to what extent will it contribute to the resolution of the crisis related to the Constitutional Court. This was reported by the Public Relations Department of the Presidential Administration.
In response to the above-mentioned questions, we would like to inform you that the President of the Republic has thoroughly studied the Law on Amendments to the Constitutional Law on the Constitutional Court, as well as the views of various political forces, public, political figures, legal scholars, and the mass media.
The President also heard the views of political factions, professional community and civil society during his meetings with them.
The opinions of international experts were reviewed; international law practice and the expert opinion of the European Commission on Democracy through Law (Venice Commission) on the Law were examined.
The views and arguments expressed in the law often have ethical and emotional emphasis and are the result of different and sometimes contradictory approaches and political interests in the interpretation of legal norms.
Guided exclusively by the state and national interests and emphasizing the importance of ensuring the normal functioning of the Constitutional Court, the President signed the Law, finding that members of the Constitutional Court during the operation of the Law, as the Venice Commission noted in its conclusion, “without undue pressure (political or personal)”; excluding any deviation from the principle of voluntariness, expressing their attitude towards it by accepting or not accepting the possibility of retirement under the law
Highlighting the need to ensure effective and cooperative activities of the legislative, executive and judicial authorities and state institutions, the President welcomed the intention of the Government of the Republic of Armenia to form a Professional Committee on Constitutional Reforms, which would involve the President’s staff.