Gagik Harutyunyan elected chairman of Supreme Judicial Council
YEREVAN, March 5. /ARKA/. The outgoing chairman of Armenia’s Constitutional Court Gagik Harutyunyan was elected today chairman of the Supreme Judicial Council, the press service of the Constitutional Court reported.br br
In accordance with articles 84 and 166 of the Judicial Code, members of the Supreme Judicial Council, elected by the National Assembly of Armenia, have to elect chairman from themselves within five days since their election, the Constitutional Court said.br br
The first session of the Supreme Judicial Council was held today in the National Academy of Sciences. Harutyunyan was elected as its chairman by secret ballot.br br
After the new Constitution came into force, the position of head of the Judicial Council, vested in the head of state, was to be removed. nbsp;Supreme Judicial Council is to be established that will consist of 10 members, of whom five are elected by the National Assembly, and the other five will be recruited from the judges of the courts of all instances.br br
Members of the Supreme Judicial Council will be elected for a period of five years without the right to permanent re-election. A judge with at least 10 years of experience may become a member of the Supreme Judicial Council.br br
The Council will be an independent state body that guarantees the independence of courts and judges. -0-br br