YEREVAN. – Mr. Minister, is this draft law either worsening or improving the status of the members of the Constitutional Court? Opposition Prosperous Armenia Party MP Gevorg Petrosyan asked today this to Justice Minister Rustam Badasyan at the sitting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs, referring to the early retirement plan for the Constitutional Court judges.

Petrosyan also asked the minister to specifically say what kind of Constitutional Court "crisis" he is talking about.

Badasyan noted that there is public distrust in the judiciary and they mean this by saying "crisis."

"Secondly, by saying 'crisis' we mean that when discussing the constitutional amendments we have said that the model of the Constitutional Court is wrong," he added. “And to have a Constitutional Court that truly administers justice, there must be three nominating bodies: the General Assembly of Judges, the Government, the President of the Republic (...). However, this model has not been implemented, as the vast majority of Constitutional Court members were already serving as Constitutional Court judges.”

The Minister noted that he does not think that the right to pension is being undermined, as the law regulates that the judges of the Constitutional Court can voluntarily retire early and such international experience exists.

Referring to the issue of taxpayers, the minister said that they are concerned here, but they should ask the next question: To what extent are they ready to pay taxes and pay the Constitutional Court judges whom they do not trust?