We Have Independent Judges in the Judicial System Today: Vazgen Rshtuni of Factinfo

“Today we have independent judges in the judicial system,” said Vazgen Rshtuni, the President of the Court of Appeals, in an interview with Factinfo. He added, “As of today, I don’t know how independent the system is overall. As a judge, I believe it’s not very appropriate for me to assess that.”

Rshtuni agreed that there are pressures from the legislative and executive branches. “Until today, we, the general system, can say, have still managed to withstand, but what’s important here is what tools the courts have to withstand and what tools the legislative and executive branches have. I can say one thing, if the three branches of power do not cooperate, or perhaps the word is not well chosen, if they do not support each other, then the normal process in a legal state is disrupted. Or if that term is misplaced, if there is no mutual respect and trust, then we actually have a problem. Therefore, talking about how much the judicial power can withstand if the processes continue or intensify, I don’t know. I tend to think that it will be hard to resist,” he stated.

When asked about the need for judicial power to be separate and independent from the legislative and executive powers, and concerning statements from the highest levels of power down to the level of representatives that the government, which has the voters’ confidence, should form a judicial authority that also enjoys the public's trust, Rshtuni responded: “I believe that the political leadership must take steps to raise public confidence in the judicial authority.”