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“It is unfortunate that the Ministry of Justice did not consider necessary to discuss the RA Draft Laws “On Changes and Amendments in the Republic of Armenia Law on Advocacy” and “On Changes and Amendments in the Republic of Armenia Law on State Duty” with the advocates,” Marat Atovmyan, Member of Board of the Armenian Young Lawyers Association said today at the discussion of the above mentioned drafts, which was held at the Chamber of advocates.
Ruben Sahakyan, the former President of the Chamber of Advocates noted that the Ministry of Justice had informed that a sort of a draft was being elaborated for maintenance of the office of public defenders; however he was not aware of its content.
“Article 20 of the Constitution of the RA provides that everyone shall have the right to legal assistance. In cases provided for by law, legal assistance shall be provided at the expense of state funds. That is to say it is the state’ responsibility, which today is ensured through the public defenders’ office. The state as the customer pays a certain amount of money to the public defender’s office, and the office consequently provides the service through its public defenders,” Ara Zohrabyan, President of the Chamber of Advocates of the RA said and noted that maintenance of the public defender’s office on the account of the advocates is inadmissible.
Sona Harutyunyan, Expert on Legal reforms Issues of the Armenian Young Lawyers Association noted that AYLA was going to submit a draft to the Ministry of Justice. According to the draft the sums, which today the State provides to the public defender’s office shall be provided to the law firms on the basis of tender.
“In such case the field will be liberalized and there will be competition among the firms and the part of this sum will be used for qualified protection of the individual’s rights rather than for the maintenance of the technical saturation,” Sona Harutyunyan said.
As it was mentioned before the draft foresees to use the sums of the state duty levied from the lawyers to cover the costs for the maintenance of the public defender’s office, technical maintenance and operation of the state register of the advocates.
“Robbery, Burglary”: the former President of the Chamber of Advocates of the RA said about the initiative of the Government, and added that the words were even soft to classify it.
