New mechanisms aimed at increasing efficiency of the Ethics and Disciplinary Committee of the General Assembly of Judges presented to experts of the Venice Commission

Director of the "Centre for Legislation Development” Foundation of the Ministry of Justice Tigran Dadunts and Head of the Control Department Hayk Sanoyan held an on-line meeting with representatives of the Council of Europe and experts of the Venice Commission.

The aim of the meeting was to make clarifications with regard to the new conceptual initiative, in relation to which the Venice Commission is expected to provide an expert opinion. The concept paper envisages finding solutions for empowering the Ethnics and Disciplinary Committee of the General Assembly of Judges and increasing its efficiency, for improving the procedure for formation of the Committee and enhancing public control mechanisms, taking into consideration the positions that the Venice Commission has presented in recent years.

The background, reasons and main solutions of the initiative, as well as the issues related to the role of the Ministry of Justice in the disciplinary liability proceedings of judges, the statistics for proceedings initiated by the Ministry of Justice and the Ethics and Disciplinary Committee, as well as the problems which arise in practice in this sphere and which served as a basis for applying to the Venice Commission under the initiative, were presented.

After the reports, a question-and-answer session was held, and additional clarifications were presented to the experts of the Venice Commission.

The Venice Commission will express its position on the initiative in December of this year.