Friday, 10 February 2006
Today the Anti-corruption Council of the Republic of Armenia has held a meeting at the Office of Government which was presided at by Chairman of Council, Republic of Armenia Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan.
The meeting heard and took notice of the report made by Chairman of Republic of Armenia Court of Appeal Hovannes Manoukyan on the course of fulfillment of Government of Armenia anti-corruption strategy and the plan of action for implementation thereof concerning in particular the measures to take by the Court of Appeal, as well as the discharge of the tasks assigned to the Court in compliance with the obligations contracted by the Republic Armenia under international conventions and agreements. Mr. Hovannes Manoukyan informed that in accordance with the November, 6, 2003 Government Decree on approval of the anticorruption strategy and relevant plan of action, Ref. No. 1522 - N, the Council of chairmen of court of the Republic of Armenia adopted a program of anticorruption measures on February, 20, 2004, and has carried out large amount of work, in particular, with respect to penal code consolidation in the line of crimes coupled with corruption, trainings and re-trainings of judges regarding features of judicial inquiry of these crimes, streamlining of paperwork in courts. The speaker similarly mentioned the Court's active participation in the second stage of judicial - legal reforms, creation of a package of legislative proposals with the purpose of reduction or elimination of corruption risks, increase of independence and efficiency of the judiciary, having emphasized in this context the importance of having developed a draft law regulating the operations of judicial authorities in the Republic of Armenia and the passing by the Council of chairmen of court of Republic of Armenia in December, 2005 of the new code of conduct for judges in line with most up-to-date international criteria.
Mr. Hovannes Manoukyan has touched in detail upon the structural changes operated in the Staff of Republic of Armenia Court of Appeal, the creation of new subdivisions, in particular, the department of legal expertise, the secretariat of the Council of chairmen of court, introduction of the system of automation of functions performed by courts within the framework of the program of improvement of court activities in Armenia, and also regarding the operations carried out in the direction of maintenance of publicity as a result of which the Court of Appeal of the Republic of Armenia has developed the uniform concept of cooperation of the judiciary and mass media.
Republic of Armenia Prime Minister said that, as previously, the report submitted by the Court of Appeal should be posted in full on the official website of Government the Republic of Armenia. Also, he instructed to keep the public informed on a regular basis on the measures taken and the pace of their fulfillment.
Concerning the next agenda item, chairman of commission on monitoring of anti-corruption strategy implementation Bagrat Yesayan briefed those present on a decision taken by the commission according to which, in connection with the appointment of Ashot Galoyan - head of the Armenian delegation in group of countries struggling with corruption (GRECO) - as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Poland
