OSCE holds expert meeting on justice reform in Armenia
YEREVAN, 6 July 2010 - Reform of Armenia's justice system was the focus of an expert meeting for judges, prosecutors, lawyers, and civil servants organized today by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the OSCE Office in Yerevan.
The meeting was the second in a series of events aimed at facilitating the implementation of recommendations included in ODIHR's report on the trials held following the post-election violence in March 2008. The report, published in March 2010, highlighted a number of shortcomings in the trials observed, and recommended specific legislative and practical measures to uphold international fair trial guarantees.
"ODIHR's recommendations certainly provide an incentive for us to move forward with justice reform. The ultimate success of our efforts requires not merely legislative changes, but changes in the mindsets of judges and other legal professionals," said David Avetisyan, Chairman of the Criminal Chamber of the Cassation Court.
Some 30 judges, prosecutors, lawyers, and civil servants, as well as international experts from Estonia and the United Kingdom, participated in the meeting. Discussions focused on judicial conduct and accountability, as well as court security and administration.
"We are quite satisfied with today's discussions, which focused on concrete topics and solutions in an open and collegial atmosphere," said Carel Hofstra, the Deputy Head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan.
Vasily Vashchanka, the Deputy Head of ODIHR's Rule of Law Unit, welcomed the constructive approach of the Armenian authorities: "We are encouraged so far by the actions taken by the authorities to implement our recommendations."
The first follow-up meeting, held in April, focused on issues related to pre-trial proceedings. A third event is planned for the autumn.