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The Government proposes to make 80% surcharge for a judge, Vice President and President of the Constitutional Court, and to establish an increase in the official rate for judges of the Court of Cassation (including the President and the Chairman of the Chamber) at the amount of 50%, as a remuneration in accordance with their high status and responsibility stipulated by Article 164.10 of the Constitution.

A pro posal of the Government was debated at the extraordinary sitting of the NA Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs convened on June 8.

According to the Deputy Minister of Justice Yeranuhi Tumanyants, it is envisaged to make amendments and addenda to the package of draft laws on Making Addenda and Amendment to the Law on Remuneration of Persons Holding Public Positions and Public Service Positions and on Making Addendum to the Law on Ensuring the Activities, Services and Social Guarantees of Officials.

Presenting the purpose of the proposed amendments, the Deputy Minister noted that it stems from the judicial and legal reform program established by the Government. Due to the exercise of its constitutional powers, the Court of Cassation faces a large number of judicial complaints and the examination of the most difficult issues of law and fact presented for its examination in a three-tier judicial system. The implementation of the functions of the Court of Cassation as effective as possible is of great public-legal importance in the sense that both the state and the society are interested in the correct and uniform application of laws and other normative legal acts, ensuring consistency and predictability of a judicial practice.

The Constitutional Court is the highest court in the field of constitutional justice. Pursuant to Article 167 of the Constitution, the Constitutional Court administers the constitutional justice, ensuring the priority of the Constitution, within the framework of which the Constitutional Court is independent and obeys only the Constitution.

Taking into account the abovementioned, it is proposed to set the mentioned surcharges.

The co-rapporteur, the Deputy Minister of the Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs Vahagn Hovakimyan, highlighting the presented draft, noted that the commitment of judges to have a decent salary for their status was in the pre-election program of the ruling faction in 2018. According to him, it is an important component for juridical reforms.

The Committee endorsed the legislative package.