The Judiciary of Armenia interprets and applies the laws of Armenia. Under the doctrine of the separation of powers, judiciary exercises judicial power separately from the legislative power of Parliament and executive power of the Prime Minister. Per the Constitution, it is defined with a hierarchical structure regulated by the Supreme Judicial Council of Armenia. On the other hand, the Ministry of Justice of Armenia (Armenian : Հայաստանի արդարադատության նախարարություն) is a government agency which possesses executive authority and executes policies of the Government of Armenia in sectors that are closely associated with laws and regulations.
Based on article 7 of the Constitution of Armenia, judiciary in Armenia is exercised only by the courts through a three-tier judicial system, with the guarantor of its unrestricted implementation being the Supreme Judicial Council. [1]
In its turn, the Constitutional Court of Armenia (Armenian : Հայաստանի սահմանադրական դատարան) is the highest legal body for constitutional review in Armenia. It is a judicial body which is separate and independent from the executive, the legislative and the judiciary. It is responsible for supervising the constitutionality of laws and other legislative instruments. The law of constitutional court of Armenia is defined both in Armenian constitution and in law.
The Supreme Judicial Council of Armenia (Armenian : Հայաստանի բարձրագույն դատական խորհուրդ) is the guarantor of the unrestricted implementation of the judicial system. It consists of five distinguished members elected by the National Assembly, as well as five experienced judges elected by the general assembly of judges who forms the representative body of the judiciary.
The Court of Cassation of Armenia (Armenian : Հայաստանի վճռաբեկ դատարան) is based in the capital Yerevan and their jurisdiction covers the entire territory of the republic.
Known as the Court of Appeals of Armenia (Armenian : Հայաստանի վերաքննիչ դատարան), including three types: Civil Court of Appeal (Armenian : Վերաքննիչ քաղաքացիական դատարան), Criminal Court of Appeal (Armenian : Վերաքննիչ քրեական դատարան), and Administrative Court of Appeal (Armenian : Վերաքննիչ վարաչական դատարան). The courts are based in the capital Yerevan and their jurisdiction covers the entire territory of the republic.
Known as the Courts of First Instance of General Jurisdiction of Armenia (Armenian : Հայաստանի առաջին ատյանի ընդհանուր իրավասության դատարաններ). Currently, there are 8 courts covering the 12 districts of the capital Yerevan, and 9 courts throughout the other 10 provinces of Armenia; one for each province, with the exception of Ararat and Vayots Dzor provinces which are directed by a single court based in Ararat province.
Additionally, there are two types of Specialized Courts (Armenian : Մասնագիտացված դատարաններ) based in the capital Yerevan: Administrative court (Armenian : Վարչական դատարան), and Bankruptcy court (Armenian : Սնանկության դատարան).
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The Constitution of Armenia was adopted by a nationwide Armenian referendum on July 5, 1995. This constitution established Armenia as a democratic, sovereign, social, and constitutional state. Yerevan is defined as the state's capital. Power is vested in its citizens, who exercise it directly through the election of government representatives. Decisions related to changes in constitutional status or to an alteration of borders are subject to a vote of the citizens of Armenia exercised in a referendum. There are 117 articles in the 1995 constitution. On November 27, 2005, a nationwide constitutional referendum was held and an amended constitution was adopted. The constitution was amended again in a national referendum on December 6, 2015 that changed the political structure from a semi-presidential system to a parliamentary republic.
The legal system of Azerbaijan is based on civil law. As the country was a republic of the Soviet Union until 1991, its legal history has also been influenced heavily by socialist law. However, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Azerbaijan became independent by enactment of the constitutional act of national independence on 18 October 1991. Azerbaijan adopted a Constitution in 1995 which is the foundation of the legislative system of the modern country.
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Judicial review is a process under which a government's executive, legislative, or administrative actions are subject to review by the judiciary. In a judicial review, a court may invalidate laws, acts, or governmental actions that are incompatible with a higher authority. For example, an executive decision may be invalidated for being unlawful, or a statute may be invalidated for violating the terms of a constitution. Judicial review is one of the checks and balances in the separation of powers—the power of the judiciary to supervise the legislative and executive branches when the latter exceed their authority. The doctrine varies between jurisdictions, so the procedure and scope of judicial review may differ between and within countries.
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The Constitutional Court of Armenia is the highest legal body for constitutional review in Armenia. It is responsible for supervising the constitutionality of laws and other legislative instruments. The law of the constitutional court is defined in the Armenian constitution and by statute. The court, established in 1995, is located in Yerevan.
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The Prosecutor General's Office of Armenia is a government agency tasked for supervising the public procurator system in Armenia, exercising its authority through the Prosecutor General of Armenia. It oversees the enforcement of Armenian law by law enforcement agencies such as the Police of Armenia and the National Security Service. The office is located on 5 Vazgen Sargsyan Street, Yerevan. The current Prosecutor General is Anna Vardapetyan.