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On July 22, the Chair of the RA NA Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs Vladimir Vardanyan met with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Delegation in Armenia.

At the request of the Expert of the Policy Specialist for the Political Dialogues and Constitutional Processes of the United Nations Development Program Jason Gluck, Vladimir Vardanyan presented the legal problems existing in the judicial-legal system in Armenia. According to him, the current situation of the judicial power in Armenia with the reliability of the public towards the judicial power and with the situation existing in any established democratic country is not comparable in terms of the judicial power independence and the number of the judges and the social guarantees. According to Vladimir Vardanyan, after the Velvet revolution the authorities repeatedly announced that they would rule out and would not let any intervention for the activity of the courts. In the speaker's opinion, however, the judicial power independence means not only independence from the executive and legislative power, but, first of all, from any external intervention. Nevertheless, the speaker has noted that unfortunately, defective traditions are still noticed in the judicial system, and criminal persecution has been conducted towards one of the judges with the charge of taking a bribe several months ago.

Vladimir Vardanyan has noted that in the international colleagues' opinion the positive moves in the executive and legislative body are noticeable, and the positive changes in the judicial system are so outward. According to him, the juridical power is not a political power, it is objectively a rather conservative one, and nevertheless, the positive dynamics is necessary also in this sphere.

The Committee Chair touched upon the problems concerning the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), the institutional, legislative and other omissions existing in the system and main provisions of the legislative reforms to be designed in the near future.

Vladimir Vardanyan also talked about the application of the necessary toolset aimed at the judicial-legal system, the advocacy activity, highlighted the formation of the respect culture towards the judge and the judicial power in the society of Armenia.

At the request of the representatives of the UNDP in Armenia the Committee Chair clarified issues concerning the functions of the parliamentary oversight.