Înapoi Guides on the new Criminal and Criminal Procedure Codes of Armenia ready for the national legal professionals as the new legislation enters into force

Guides on the new Criminal and Criminal Procedure Codes of Armenia ready for the national legal professionals as the new legislation enters into force

The Council of Europe has been working closely with the Armenian authorities on the criminal justice reform through legislative, methodological, and capacity-building support since 2015.

 

Based on the legal expertise of the Council of Europe, conceptually new Criminal Code and Code of Criminal Procedure were developed, reflecting both national policy priorities and international commitments. Both Codes adopted a year ago entered into force on 1 July 2022.The effective implementation of both Codes shall contribute to the enhancement of human rights within criminal proceedings. It shall also facilitate the execution of the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights against Armenia that are under enhanced supervision of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. In particular, those relate to the prohibition of torture, ill-treatment and the use of pre-trial detention such as Mushegh Saghatelyan group of cases, Virabyan group of cases, amongst others.

 

Following the adoption of the new Codes, the Council of Europe in cooperation with the Ministry of Justice has initiated the development of two practical Guides on conceptual solutions and new principles of the new Codes. The Guides will serve to provide commentaries to facilitate the effective implementation of the new legislation. They explain the context, meaning, and interpretation of the key new provisions in the adopted legal acts. The Guides were prepared by the same national experts who were closely engaged in the drafting of the new Codes, thus, to ensure a professional and coherent interpretation of new legal provisions.

 

The national legal professionals of Armenia will be provided with the electronic copies of both Guides that can be accessed by following these links: New Criminal Code Guide, New Criminal Procedure Code Guide.

 

The development of the Guides was supported in the framework of  the Project “Supporting the criminal justice reform and harmonising the application of the European standards in Armenia" funded within the European Union and Council of Europe Partnership for Good Governance.

Armenia 1 July 2022
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Strasbourg, France Strasbourg, 1-2 July 2024
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Addressing hate speech and hate crime: regional gathering of the network of Equality Bodies from the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership Region

A two-day workshop on addressing hate speech and hate crime took place at the premises of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, involving Equality bodies from the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership regions.  The event supported by the EU and Council of Europe, gathered 50 representatives from both regions who discussed and exchanged on the best practices, measures and common challenges when addressing hate speech and hate crime. Through monitoring and reporting, policy advocacy, raising awareness and supporting victims equality bodies play a fundamental role in protecting human rights and ensuring that all individuals are treated equally.

In her opening remarks, Angela Longo, Head of Anti-discrimination Co-operation Unit, Council of Europe, underlined the significant progress in engaging with Equality Bodies through this network, regularly exchanging best practices and addressing the challenges of hatred and intolerance in societies. She highlighted that this new chapter of discussion delves into the grey area between hate speech and hate crime, addressing issues of incitement and biases,

Representatives from Equality Bodies had the opportunity to discuss and enhance their knowledge on the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers Recommendation to member States on combating hate crime, adopted on 7th May 2024, as well as gain a clearer understanding of EU standards in the field of hate crime. Moreover, participants engaged in exchanges with peers from the Spanish Observatory on Racism and Xenophobia (OBERAXE), who shared insights on addressing hate speech in the public discourse. The National Office Against Racial Discrimination (UNAR) in Italy provided practical examples for developing counter-narratives and raising awareness initiatives.

They also explored opportunities to advocate for legislative reform, foster multisectoral co-operation, enhance data collection, and overall improve national mechanisms to counter hate crimes.

This seminar was organised within the action “Promoting equality and combating racism and intolerance in the Western Balkans” and the project “Promoting equality and non-discrimination: towards more resilient and inclusive societies” – co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe, and implemented by the Council of Europe  under the joint Programmes “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye” and “Partnership for Good Governance”.

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