OSCE launches a volume of decisions by the high instance court to support Armenia’s judicial system

A volume of decisions by the Criminal Chamber of the Court of Cassation for 2014 was launched on 20 November 2015 in Yerevan. It aims to serve as a useful tool and resource for all criminal lawyers.

At the presentation, participants discussed the activities of the Court of Cassation over the last 10 years including the fundamental decisions that have paved the ground for ensuring predictable justice and for creating legal mechanisms for the effective protection of human rights. Decisions made by the Court of Cassation are binding, meaning that all lower courts are obliged to follow them.

“Functioning judiciaries, on which both individuals and legal entities can rely on, are of greatest importance not only for  the protection of human rights, but also as a precondition for economic stability,” said Andrey Sorokin, Head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan. “The rule of law cannot be ensured if the judiciary cannot be relied upon to decide cases competently, independently and impartially.”

Arman Mkrtumyan, the President of the Court of Cassation emphasized the importance of the decisions made by the highest court. “There is not a single judicial act or an appeal that does not refer to a precedent decision. Precedents are not only binding, but also comprehensible, logical and most importantly, persuasive.”

The publication, the sixth of its kind since 2008, was prepared by the Court of Cassation and the Judicial Department of Armenia with the support of the OSCE Office in Yerevan.