As we have already informed , the Supreme Judicial Council started the examination of the motion on initiating disciplinary proceedings against Judge of the Court of First Instance of Aragatsotn Region Manuk Margaryan on 19 August.

According to a statement issued by the SJC, the motion to initiate proceedings was submitted to the SJC by the Committee on Ethics and Disciplinary Matters of the General Assembly of Judges, based on a report submitted by A. Manukyan’s representative in the civil case T. Ghazaryan.

At the beginning of the session, Judge Manuk Margaryan’s representative petitioned the Council to conduct the case in camera, as individual, personal data related to the child and family relations will be provided.

Notably, Iravaban.net referred to this case months ago, when it talked to Anyuta Manukyan, who had not seen her child for about 6 months. In the interview with Iravaban.net she told that she was divorced in 2015, and during 2016-2019, the ex-spouses decided in court the place of residence of the child, the order of visits with the father and the amount of alimony.

In December 2020, the child’s father takes her to another visit, but does not return her to the mother and the basis for which was the interim court decision of Judge Manuk Margaryan. In particular, according to the information available in the judicial information system, the child’s father submits an application to the court on the application of a preliminary measure to secure the claim, which was satisfied by Judge Manuk Margaryan, and thus changed the child’s place of residence and determined the father’s place of residence as the place of residence of the child. It should also be noted that the child’s mother and the guardianship and trusteeship body did not participate in the discussion of this decision made by the court, as well as the child was not heard. Anyuta Manukyan’s interview is available here.

It should be noted that yesterday lawyer Ms Monika Hakobyan, represented Judge Manuk Margaryan in the SJC. Mr. Sergey Marabyan, Chairman of the Committee on Ethics and Disciplinary Matters of the General Assembly of Judges, and Ms Suzanna Soghomonyan, a non-judge member of the commission, represented the civil society.

It should be noted that due to the amendments made to the Judicial Code last year, the composition of the Committee on Ethics and Disciplinary Matters of the General Assembly of Judges was changed.

This is one of the exceptional cases where the interests of the child are affected; in any case, the best interests of the child must be under the care and protection of the courts of the Republic of Armenia. In fact, the decision made in this case will make it clear whether the SJC is ready to carry out the much-discussed vetting and implement the judicial reforms made in recent years, or it will simply be the next decision of the SJC in favor of the judge’s defense.

It should be reminded that according to the information published in the press, two appointments were made in the SJC in order to carry out vetting in the judicial system, the Acting Chairman of the SJC Gagik Jhangiryan and the Member of the Davit Khachatryan.