PACE welcomes initiative of Minister of Justice to apply to Venice Commission — Resolution on Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Armenia adopted

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted the Resolution on Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Armenia through a vote. The Assembly welcomed Armenia's ratification of Protocol No. 13 on the Abolition of the Death Penalty in All Cases attached to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, as well as the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. The Assembly noted with satisfaction that the authorities ensure inclusiveness and transparency in the legislative process, which led to the reform of the Electoral Code in accordance with a number of recommendations of the Venice Commission. The Assembly highly appreciated the reforms aimed at maintaining the independence of the judicial system and noted with satisfaction the commitment and ongoing efforts of the Armenian authorities for real dialogue with the Council of Europe. At the same time, the PACE expressed regret that there is still a common perception about the abuse of disciplinary procedures against judges for the purpose of impacting their decisions. Accordingly, the Assembly welcomed the fact that the Minister of Justice requested an opinion of the Venice Commission on the Concept Paper concerning the reform of the Ethics and Disciplinary Committee of the General Assembly of Judges, which demonstrates the political will to co-operate with the bodies of the Council of Europe in this matter. The Assembly positively assessed the real determination of the authorities to combat systemic corruption, as evidenced by the establishment of two specialised anti-corruption bodies and courts, the introduction of integrity checks of judges, prosecutors and persons holding autonomous positions within investigative bodies.