2005

December 6-10
Visit to Moscow

The delegation of the RA Constitutional Court, headed by the President of the RA Constitutional Court Mr. G. Harutyunyan, paid visit to Moscow. During this visit our delegation had meetings with President Valery Zorkin and judges of the Constitutional Court, as well as with the Presidents of the Supreme Court and Arbitrage Court of the Russian Federation. There is long standing close cooperation between our courts and our Russian colleagues have been permanent participants (at Presidents level) of the Yerevan International Conference.
In July of this year, our fellow-countryman Academic Vladik Nersessyantz has passed away. He was the Chairman of the Russian National Group of International Association of Social and Legal philosophy and honorary member of the Centre of Constitutional Law of the Republic of Armenia. Our delegation visited Nersissyantz cemetery, where bishop Ezras, leader of spiritual bishopric of New Nakhijevan and Russia, held a funeral ceremony.

Program of the official visit of the RA Constitutional Courts delegation.
(in Russian)

October 2
Jubilee Conference

From 3rd of September to 2nd of October Jubilee the X Yerevan International Conference, which was dedicated to the adoption of the RA Constitution and ten years formation of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Armenia took place. The topic of the Conference was titled: Legal principles and political reality in exercising constitutional justice.
There were many participants from different countries. It was first time that Mrs. Cheryl Saunders, Chairwoman of International Association of Constitutional Court, participated to this Conference. Within framework of massive publicity not only the specialists, but also a various strata of society had opportunity to closely commune with Mr. Luzius Wildhaber, President of the European Court of Human Rights, Mr. Gianni Buquicchio, Secretary of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe, Mr. Valery Zorkin, President of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation and with Presidents of the Constitutional Courts of Poland, Latvia, Slovak Republic, Georgia and with many outstanding jurists and constitutionalists. Given Conference was taking place, when the constitutional reforms were in the process and Conference was very important for officials. President of the Republic of Armenia R. Kocharyan also participated to the Conference and made an opening speech.
the Conference guests had opportunity not only to make interesting reports, discuss many issues and present advanced experience, but also had different meetings and visited places of interest of Armenia.

September 29 October 2

On the Occasion of the 10th Anniversary of the Constitution and the Constitutional Court of Armenia International Conference on "Legal Principles and Political Reality in the Exercise of Constitutional Control".

March 18

G. Harutyunyan received Simona Granada Mengini, Head of the Department of the Constitutional Cooperation of the Venice Commission and Finola Flanagan, expert, member of the Venice Commission (Ireland). G. Harutyunyan briefly introduced the activity of the Constitutional Court, as well as expressed his opinion concerning constitutional reforms.

March 4

G. Harutyunyan received Pierre Garrone, expert of OSCE/OHRDI and the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe. The purpose of his visit was to participate in the discussion about the written expert conclusion on the Electoral Code of the Republic of Armenia.
Mr. Garrone expressed his opinion regarding clarification of electoral system mechanisms in Armenia, on their prescription by law, rendering controllable the preliminary preaching period, on political agreement and regulation of many other issues concerning fair and transparent elections. The interlocutors gave importance to the problem of contribution of international experience in the elections.

January 31 - February 3

The delegation of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Armenia, consisting of Vice-President V. Hovhannisyan, Members F. Tokhyan and Z. Ghukasyan and headed by President G. Harutyunyan, paid a visit to France on official invitation by the Constitutional Council of France.
On the first day of the visit, a discussion, in the form of a seminar and the exchange of experiences, on current issues of constitutional justice took place between the two institutes of constitutional justice: the Constitutional Council of France and the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Armenia. They particularly reverted to the issues of European integration and adoption of the Constitution of the European Union (in the near future it is foreseen a holding of a referendum on the adoption of the Constitution of the European Union in France; the constitutional review will also be carried out over this process).
During the discussion, the experience of the constitutional review exercised by the Constitutional Council of France with respect to the whole electoral process was presented in detail. The parties also discussed the issues concerning the subjects allowed to appeal to the Constitutional Council, which is very important for exercising constitutional justice.
In comparison with previous similar bilateral visits, which were much more of a cognitive nature, this meeting basically included a discussion on working matters, an exchange of experience, and a clarification of ways to accept the challenges of the new millennium.
This time, the French colleagues made a huge preparatory work. They are well acquainted with the activity of the Armenian Constitutional Court, including its international relations. They widely use the huge materials located on the web-site of the Constitutional Court, mentioning the advantage of the substantial and material variety of the web-site. It should be noted that among the web-sites of the Constitutional Courts and equivalent bodies of the world, the web-site of the Armenian Constitutional Court is the13th place. The French colleagues responded well to the books and journals published by the Centre of Constitutional Law of the Republic of Armenia, especially the Year Book "Almanac", published in four languages.
The Armenian delegation also visited the State Council, Court of Cassation, and State Commission of European integration.
These meetings, having large bilateral interest, were organized with absolutely warm reception and at a high level.

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