Minister of Justice meets students of Public Administration Academy

"It's better to learn from others' mistakes than from your own, but we don't have that much time..." — this is what Minister of Justice of the Republic of Armenia Artak Zeynalyan said during a meeting organised with students of the Public Administration Academy of the Republic of Armenia at the initiative of the Academy.

Artak Zeynalyan had ample time to receive a comprehensive education; he studied medicine at Yerevan State Medical University, became a healthcare manager and became qualified as a public servant at the Public Administration Academy of the Republic of Armenia. He also eventually received a legal education and went on to become actively engaged in the legal field. As a matter of fact, in the course of his studies at the Academy, he would successfully combine theoretical knowledge with practice, as during this period, he was already holding an office in the public administration system as Deputy Minister of Healthcare of the Republic of Armenia.

"The Public Administration Academy plays an important role in my life. Here I not only studied, but also gained experience in lecturing for the first time," the Minister of Justice said during the meeting. He gladly agreed to answer the questions of the attendees’ interest and admitted, in advance, that he would answer the questions not only from professional and academic perspectives, but also as a public official, as the position expressed by a minister is perceived as the position of the Government. Thus, his answers would be diplomatic.

He gave such a response to the question on the new structure of the Government of the Republic of Armenia, noting that the current stricture of the Government is the expression of the political will at this moment and the extent of its effectiveness will be clear later.

"Not everything is predictable, and this is also what makes life interesting," the Minister said.

Artak Zeynalyan was also asked questions about transitional justice, the possibility of going from a parliamentary system of governance back to semi-presidential system of governance, the establishment of the judiciary, the enhancement of confidence in the judiciary, the opportunity for convicts to receive an education, the institution of judicial errors and the issue of existence of selective justice in Armenia. In response to the questions, the Minister also transferred some knowledge and messages to the academicians.

"The 21^st century is a century of "illiterates", as the knowledge that each of us has is extremely small amid the abundance of knowledge. Thus, don't be afraid to make mistakes. By not being afraid to make mistakes, you will lay the foundation for new knowledge.”

"The revolution that took place in 2018 in Armenia is exceptional in that it took place without violation of the Constitution, and it was made by the people of Armenia. Each of us must bear responsibility for the outcomes of the revolution and become actively involved in the economic revolution that is being made in this stage.”

"Is it possible to go back to the semi-presidential system of governance? This is a matter of political will of the authorities, but frequent change of systems of governance is not encouraged because it may cause turbulence."

Confidence in the judiciary is an important asset; if you don't always nourish it, it starts fading away."

"The reforms for convicts to exercise their right to education are underway. In general, we are trying to make the transition from punitive justice to restorative justice."

Rector of the Public Administration Academy of the Republic of Armenia Arsen Lokyan expressed his gratitude to the Minister of Justice for taking the time from his busy schedule for the academicians and handed him a souvenir symbolising the Academy. Artak Zeynalyan promised that it would always be with him and that it would be added to his family "treasury" in which he keeps the souvenirs he obtained with the first salary that he received as a lecturer at the Public Administration Academy of the Republic of Armenia.

Source: Public Administration Academy of the Republic of Armenia