Supreme Judicial Council Issues Statement

The Supreme Judicial Council has issued a statement urging public officials and politicians to exercise restraint when criticizing the judiciary and to base their comments solely on facts.

It has been reported that the President of the Union of Judges of Armenia, Alexander Azaryan, sent a letter to the Supreme Judicial Council expressing his dissatisfaction with the behavior of the Minister of Justice, Karen Andreasian. The letter highlights that in interviews on February 11 and February 14, Andreasian made statements that offended and labeled judges, undermining the reputation of the judiciary, which did not receive an appropriate response.

The Supreme Judicial Council now calls for avoiding insulting remarks and labeling judges. “At the same time, the Supreme Judicial Council finds unacceptable the possibility of judges approaching the dangerous threshold of political neutrality through actions or public statements. The Council urges to refrain from actions that could be perceived as violations of judicial ethics and conduct standards,” the message states.

Additionally, the Council notes with great concern the recent statements from representatives of the legal community that target, undermine, and are offensive towards the authority of the judiciary. The Supreme Judicial Council calls on legal community representatives to approach their public speeches, assessments, and qualifications with greater responsibility.