The judiciary in Armenia appears to be particularly prone to corruption, and to suffer from the deficit of independence.

The aforesaid is noted in the new report which the Council of Europe Group of States Against Corruption (GRECO) issued on Thursday.  

The report notes that corruption remains an important problem for Armenian society, even though the fight against it has been high on the political agenda for years.

The makers of this report are also concerned about the lack of clear separation of powers, the weakness of the Parliament, and insufficient transparency in public decision-making.

“Concerns about the current system of state powers and public governance in Armenia should be addressed with a comprehensive and inclusive reform process,” declared Council of Europe Secretary General, Thorbjørn Jagland. “Reform should be pursued with determination and without delay. Fighting corruption is a priority. We stand ready to assist Armenia in this process, and we trust the authorities will take our recommendations on board.”

GRECO specifically recommends that the rules on the acceptance of gifts by parliamentarians, judges and prosecutors, as well as on submitting regular asset declarations, on their control and enforcement be further developed and made more effective. Adopting a code of conduct for members of parliament, preventing circumvention of the restrictions on business activities by parliamentarians, are among other recommendations.

The authors of the report also suggest to further amend the existing procedures for recruitment, promotion and dismissal of judges and prosecutors, as well as disciplinary procedures.

“The immunity of judges should be limited to activities related to the administration of justice,” says the report.

By the end of April 2017, the Armenian authorities are to report back on measures taken to implement the 18 recommendations included in this report. In the latter half of 2017, GRECO will assess the effectiveness of these measures in a “compliance report.”