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			{{Short description\|Supreme law of Armenia}}
	<ref>The Constitution of the Republic of Armenia</ref>{{Politics of Armenia}}
			{{for\|the Ottoman-era document\|Armenian National Constitution}}
	{{wikisource}}
			{{Politics of Armenia}}
	The '''Constitution of Armenia''' was adopted by a nationwide Armenian ] on July 5, 1995.<ref></ref> This constitution established ] as a ], ], social, and ] state. ] 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 ]. There are 117 articles in the 1995 constitution. On November 27, 2005, a ] was held and an amended constitution was adopted.<ref></ref>		The '''Constitution of Armenia''' was adopted by a nationwide Armenian ].<ref> {{webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090801185841/http://www.president.am/files/output.php?fid=111 \|date=1 August 2009 }}</ref> This constitution established ] as a ], ], social, and ] state. ] 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 ]. There are 117 articles in the 1995 constitution. On November 27, 2005, a ] was held and an amended constitution was adopted.<ref>{{Cite web \|url=http://xn--y9aaah2cva0b.xn--y9a3aq/en/constitution-2005/ \|title=The Constitution of Armenia (27 November 2005) \|access-date=22 November 2018 \|archive-date=17 August 2018 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180817051133/http://xn--y9aaah2cva0b.xn--y9a3aq/en/constitution-2005 \|url-status=dead }}</ref> The constitution was amended again in a ] that changed the political structure from a semi-presidential system to a parliamentary republic.
	The Constitution was adopted on 5 July, 1995, by a referendum.
	The constitutional amendments were adopted on 27 November, 2005,
	by a referendum.

		⚫	According to the November 2005 Constitution, the president of the Republic appoints the prime minister based on the distribution of the seats in the National Assembly and consultations with the parliamentary factions. The President also appoints (or dismisses from office) the members of the Government upon the recommendation of the Prime Minister.<ref>The Constitution of Armenia (27 November 2005), {{webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081225075745/http://www.president.am/library/constitution/eng/?chapter=3&pn=1 \|date=2008-12-25 }}.</ref> Given the constitutional powers of the president, Armenia can be regarded as a ].
	***

		⚫	==Early constitutional history and drafting of the 1995 constitution==
	The Armenian people — recognising as a basis the fundamental principles of the Armenian statehood and the pan-national aspirations enshrined in the Declaration on the Independence of Armenia, having fulfilled the sacred behest of its freedom-loving ancestors for the restoration of the sovereign state, committed to the strengthening and prosperity of the fatherland, with a view to ensuring the freedom of generations, general well-being and civic solidarity, assuring the faithfulness to universal values — hereby adopt the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia.It has following 9 chapters
		⚫	Immediately after independence, the 1978 constitution, a replica of the Soviet Union's 1977 document,{{clarify\|date=December 2019}} remained in effect except in cases where specific legislation superseded it. At the end of 1992, the president and the APM parliamentary delegates presented a draft constitution. They put forward a revised version in March 1993. Then, after nearly a year's work, a bloc of six opposition parties led by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) presented an alternative constitution in January 1994 that would expand the parliament's power, limit that of the president, expand the authority of local government, allow Armenians everywhere to participate in governing the republic, and seek international recognition of the 1915 Genocide. As 1994 began, observers expected a long struggle before parliament adopted a final version.<ref>{{csref\|country=armenia\|section=The Constitution\|author=Glenn E. Curtis and Ronald G. Suny}}</ref>

			== Structure of the constitution ==

			The Constitution of Armenia consists of a preamble (preface) and 9 chapters. The Preamble sets out the general principles and aims of the constitution (the Armenian people, based on the fundamental principles and national goals of Armenian statehood enshrined in the Declaration of Independence of Armenia, carrying out the sacred aspiration of the restoration of its sovereign state, dedicated to the strengthening of the homeland, prosperity, civic solidarity, affirming adherence to universal values, adopts the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia).{{cn\|date=July 2024}} The Preamble is also important from a legal point of view in that it refers to the ], adopted on August 23, 1990, thus raising the principles and goals of the Armenian statehood to a constitutional-legal level. This 1990 declaration cites the 1989 unification act by the legislative bodies of the ] and the ]. It also calls for the ].<ref>{{Cite news \|last=Bedevian \|first=Astghik \|date=2024-02-01 \|title=Aliyev Demands Constitutional Change In Armenia \|url=https://www.azatutyun.am/a/32801517.html \|access-date=2024-07-30 \|work=«Ազատ Եվրոպա/Ազատություն» ռադիոկայան \|language=hy}}</ref>

			=== Chapter 1: The Basis of the Constitutional Order. ===
	–CHAPTER 1. THE FOUNDATIONS OF CONSTITUTIONAL ORDER
			This chapter defines the nature of the state (sovereign, democratic, social, legal state), the power of the people, the state's restriction on human rights and freedoms, the supreme legal force of the constitution with all other legal acts, its immediate effect, the principle of separation and balance of powers, political, the basics of economic and social systems, the separation of the church from the state, the status of the armed forces, administrative-territorial organization of the state, the official language, state symbols and capital.

			=== Chapter 2. Human Rights and Citizens' Basic Rights and Freedoms. ===
	–CHAPTER 2. FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN AND CIVIL RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS
			The Fundamental human and civil rights and freedom rights, enshrined in accordance with internationally recognized norms. Human and citizen rights and freedom rights are divided into personal, political, citizen and socio-economic rights. This chapter also sets out the specific duties of the individual and citizen, namely the duty of each person to pay taxes in a manner and amount prescribed by law, to make other obligatory payments, to uphold the Constitution and the laws, to respect the rights, freedom, and dignity of others, as well as duty of each citizen to participate in the defense of the Republic of Armenia in the manner prescribed by law.

			=== Chapter 3: The President of the Republic. ===
	–CHAPTER 3. THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC
			Defines the status of the president of the Republic, his / her power, the procedure of election and the terms of office, the requirements for a candidate for president. The elections of the president of the Republic, the National Assembly, the local self-government bodies, as well as the referendum, shall be held by universal, equal and direct suffrage by secret ballot.

			=== Chapter 4: Parliament. ===
	–CHAPTER 4. THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
			Defines the status, power, procedure of elections of the legislature, the status of deputies and the procedure of election, and the legislative process.

			=== Chapter 5: Government. ===
	–CHAPTER 5. THE GOVERNMENT
			It defines the powers and procedures of the executive power - the government.

			=== Chapter 6. Judicial Power. ===
	–CHAPTER 6. THE JUDICIAL POWER
			It defines the structure of the judicial system, the procedure of its formation, the procedure and powers of the formation of the ], as well as the powers of the ] of the Republic of Armenia, which is separate from the judiciary, and the procedure for appointing the Prosecutor General.

			=== Chapter 7. Local Self-Government. ===
	–CHAPTER 7. THE LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT
			Guarantees local self-government to communities, the community's right and authority to resolve issues of local importance in accordance with the Constitution and laws to secure the well-being of its residents. Local self-governing bodies are defined as the head of the community and the council, their powers, the basis of financing the communities, and the government's control over the communities.

			=== Chapter 8. Adoption, Amendment and Referendum of the Constitution. ===
	–CHAPTER 8. ADOPTION OF THE CONSTITUTION, AMENDMENTS AND REFERENDUM
			States that the Constitution shall be adopted and amended only by referendum, which shall be set by the President of the Republic upon the recommendation or consent of the National Assembly. Laws may also be adopted by referendum, which are subject to later amendment by referendum. Also defines the bases for a referendum.

			=== Chapter 9. Concluding and Transitional Provisions. ===
	–CHAPTER 9. FINAL AND TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS
			Defines the transitional provisions related to constitutional amendments.

	(Zara Tumanyan)

⚫	According to the November 2005 Constitution, the ~~President~~ of the Republic appoints the ~~Prime~~ ~~Minister~~ based on the distribution of the seats in the National Assembly and consultations with the parliamentary factions. The President also appoints (or dismisses from office) the members of the Government upon the recommendation of the Prime Minister.<ref>The Constitution ~~of the Republic~~ of Armenia (27 November 2005), .</ref> Given the constitutional powers of the president, Armenia can be regarded as a ].
	According to the Armenian Constitution, every citizen is guaranteed a right to life, therefore there is no death penalty in the republic. Also each citizen is guaranteed some basic rights such as the right to have private life, the right to exercise whichever religion one may choose.


⚫	==Early constitutional history and drafting of the 1995 constitution==
⚫	Immediately after independence, the 1978 constitution, a replica of the Soviet Union's 1977 document, remained in effect except in cases where specific legislation superseded it. At the end of 1992, the president and the APM parliamentary delegates presented a draft constitution. They put forward a revised version in March 1993. Then, after nearly a year's work, a bloc of six opposition parties led by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) presented an alternative constitution in January 1994 that would expand the parliament's power, limit that of the president, expand the authority of local government, allow Armenians everywhere to participate in governing the republic, and seek international recognition of the 1915 ~~massacre~~. As 1994 began, observers expected a long struggle before parliament adopted a final version.<ref>{{csref\|country=armenia\|section=The Constitution\|author=Glenn E. Curtis and Ronald G. Suny}}</ref>

			==Main provisions of the constitution==
	—
			The 117 articles of the Constitution are divided into nine chapters. Chapters 2-5 concern Fundamental Rights and Freedoms (chapter 2), the president of the Republic (chapter 3), the National Assembly (chapter 4), the Government (chapter 5), and the Judicial Power (chapter 6).<ref>{{cite web\|title=Armenia 1995 (rev. 2005)\|url=https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Armenia_2005?lang=en\|website=Constitute\|access-date=17 March 2015}}</ref> Their main provisions are summarized here.
	Armenia: CONCEPT FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS ANNOUNCED
	(May 09, 2014) On April 10, 2014, the Commission on Constitutional Reforms, established under the President of Armenia, announced the proposed Concept for Constitutional Amendments, which will be drafted at a later date. The final Concept will be based on the ideas included in this 45-page paper, published on the Armenian Ministry of Justice website. (Constitutional Amendments of the Republic of Armenia Concept (Draft), Developed by the Specialized Commission on Constitutional Amendments by the President of Armenia Ministry of Justice website (Mar. 2014).) The plan is for amendments to the Constitution to be submitted to a national referendum by the end of 2015. (Head of the Constitutional Commission Says that Referendum on Amendments Will Be Conducted in Late 2015 – Early 2016 , PANORAMA.AM (Apr. 10, 2014).)

			===Fundamental Rights and Freedoms===
	The draft Concept states that the forthcoming constitutional amendments will be passed with the purpose of establishing "effective mechanisms of real appreciation of human rights and freedoms as an ultimate value, limitation of government powers, real separation of powers, and a working system of checks and balances," aimed at the implementation of the constitutional principle of a social state. (Concept, supra, at 13-14.) It is hoped that the amendments, if passed, will correct the existing deficiencies in interaction between the institutions of power, define the president's authority as a guarantor of the Constitution's implementation, provide legislative authorities with effective controlling means, and more clearly divide executive authority between the president and the Cabinet of Ministers. (Id.)
			Content here.

			===President of the Republic===
	Among the key innovations proposed by the draft Concept are:
			The ] ({{langx\|hy\|Հայաստանի Նախագահ}}, ''Hayastani Nakhagah'') is the ] and the guarantor of independence and territorial integrity of ] elected to a single seven-year term by the ].<ref>{{cite web \| url=http://www.president.am/en/constitution-2015/ \| title=Constitution of the Republic of Armenia - Library - the President of the Republic of Armenia }}</ref> Under Armenia's parliamentary system, the President is simply a figurehead and holds ceremonial duties, with most of the political power vested in the ] and ].

			===Prime minister===
			The ] is the ] and most senior minister within the ], and is required by the constitution to "determine the main directions of policy of the Government, manage the activities of the Government and coordinate the work of the members of the Government." Also -according to the constitution-, the Prime Minister heads the Security Council, which prescribes the main directions of the country's defense policy; thus, the Prime Minister is effectively the ] of the ].<ref>{{Cite web\|url=http://www.president.am/en/constitution-2015/\|title=Constitution of the Republic of Armenia - Library - The President of the Republic of Armenia \|last=LLC\|first=Helix Consulting\|website=www.president.am\|language=en\|access-date=2018-04-10}}</ref>

			Under the 2015 constitution, the Prime Minister is the most powerful and influential person in Armenian politics. The Prime Minister is appointed by the ] upon the vote of the ]. The Prime Minister can be removed by a ] in ]. In the ] held in 2015, citizens voted in favor of transferring Armenia into a ].
	· conducting elections for the President and National Assembly (Parliament) on the same day;
	· transforming the current national political system into a parliamentarian form of government, with the President as the head of state elected by the Parliament from a list of non-partisan candidates, for a term of seven years without the possibility of reelection;
	· having the Prime Minister assume his position based on the outcome of parliamentary elections;
	· remaking the current three-level judiciary system into a two-level system and introducing courts with jurors; and
	· giving the Constitutional Court the authority to decide on jurisdictional issues that arise among different government agencies. (Id. at 27.)

			===National Assembly===
	The draft Concept discusses the issue of direct democracy, defining the subjects that can be put on the ballot for a referendum and the role of the government and civic organizations in initiating a referendum. Specifically, it mentions the possibility of using referenda to decide questions of about joining international organization, membership in which may limit country's sovereignty. (Id. at 35.)
			The ] ({{langx\|hy\|Հայաստանի Հանրապետության Ազգային ժողով}}, ''Hayastani Hanrapetyut'yan Azgayin zhoghov'' or simply Ազգային ժողով, ԱԺ ''Azgayin Zhoghov'', ''AZh''), also informally referred to as the '''Parliament of Armenia''' (խորհրդարան, ''khorhrdaran'') is the ] of the government of ].

			===Government===
	Addressing local self-government issues, the draft Concept recommends strengthening the role of councils of aldermen at the local level and emphasizes the importance of inter-municipal unions. (Id. at 37.)
			The ] ({{langx\|hy\|Հայաստանի Հանրապետության Կառավարություն}}) is the executive branch of the government in Armenia. It is an ] of ] headed by the ].

			===Judicial Power===
	For the first time in Armenian legal history, the proposed Concept suggests defining the status of independent institutions established according to the Constitution, stating that they have special legal authority outside of the three classical branches of government. (Id. at 42.)
			The ] interprets and applies the ]. Under the doctrine of the ], judiciary exercises judicial power separately from the legislative power of parliament and executive power of the prime minister. As per the Constitution, it is defined with a hierarchical structure headed by the ].

			Based on article 7 of the Constitution of the Republic 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.<ref></ref>
	Prepared by Gabriel Balayan, visiting Fulbright scholar under the supervision of Peter Roudik, Director of Legal Research

			===Minorities===
			The Constitution sets aside four seats in Parliament for ], one each for ], ], ] and ], respectively.<ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.eurasianet.org/node/84606 \|title=Armenia: Ethnic Minorities Gain a Voice in Parliament \|date=August 2, 2017 \|publisher=] \|first=Maxim \|last=Edwards \|access-date=2017-08-02}}</ref>

	(Zara Tumanyan)
	== See also ==		== See also ==
	* ]		{{Portal\|Politics}}
			*]
	*]		*]
	*]		*]
			*]
			*]
			*]
			*]
			*]

	== References ==		== References ==
	{{reflist}}		{{reflist\|30em}}

	{{Armenia topics}}		{{Armenia topics}}
	{{Constitution of Europe}}		{{Constitution of Europe}}
	{{Constitutions of Asia}}		{{Constitutions of Asia}}
	{{armenia-poli-stub}}

	]		]
			]
	]		]
	]		]

Latest revision as of 03:49, 2 November 2024

Supreme law of Armenia For the Ottoman-era document, see Armenian National Constitution.

Politics of Armenia


CIS Member State CoE Member State
Constitution Constitutional court President: Hrayr Tovmasyan Human rights
Head of state President Vahagn Khachaturyan
Executive Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan Mher Grigoryan Current government
Legislature National Assembly President: Alen Simonyan Members
Judiciary Law
Administrative divisions Provinces (marz) Municipalities (hamaynk)
Elections Political parties Civil Contract Armenia Alliance I Have Honor Alliance Central Electoral Commission Recent parliamentary elections: 2018 2021 Next
Foreign relations Ministry of Foreign Affairs Minister: Ararat Mirzoyan Diplomatic missions of / in Armenia Nationality law Passport Diaspora Visa requirements Visa policy Armenia–BSEC relations Armenia–Council of Europe relations Armenia–CSTO relations Armenia–European Union relations Armenia–NATO relations Armenia–OSCE relations Armenia–United Nations relations Armenia–Artsakh relations Armenia–Azerbaijan relations Armenia–Georgia relations Armenia–Iran relations Armenia–Russia relations Armenia–Turkey relations Armenia–United States relations
Related topics Armenian genocide recognition History OSCE Minsk Group Politics of Artsakh
Other countries
v t e

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.

According to the November 2005 Constitution, the president of the Republic appoints the prime minister based on the distribution of the seats in the National Assembly and consultations with the parliamentary factions. The President also appoints (or dismisses from office) the members of the Government upon the recommendation of the Prime Minister. Given the constitutional powers of the president, Armenia can be regarded as a semi-presidential republic.

Early constitutional history and drafting of the 1995 constitution

Immediately after independence, the 1978 constitution, a replica of the Soviet Union's 1977 document, remained in effect except in cases where specific legislation superseded it. At the end of 1992, the president and the APM parliamentary delegates presented a draft constitution. They put forward a revised version in March 1993. Then, after nearly a year's work, a bloc of six opposition parties led by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) presented an alternative constitution in January 1994 that would expand the parliament's power, limit that of the president, expand the authority of local government, allow Armenians everywhere to participate in governing the republic, and seek international recognition of the 1915 Genocide. As 1994 began, observers expected a long struggle before parliament adopted a final version.

Structure of the constitution

The Constitution of Armenia consists of a preamble (preface) and 9 chapters. The Preamble sets out the general principles and aims of the constitution (the Armenian people, based on the fundamental principles and national goals of Armenian statehood enshrined in the Declaration of Independence of Armenia, carrying out the sacred aspiration of the restoration of its sovereign state, dedicated to the strengthening of the homeland, prosperity, civic solidarity, affirming adherence to universal values, adopts the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia). The Preamble is also important from a legal point of view in that it refers to the Declaration on Independence of Armenia, adopted on August 23, 1990, thus raising the principles and goals of the Armenian statehood to a constitutional-legal level. This 1990 declaration cites the 1989 unification act by the legislative bodies of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic and the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast. It also calls for the recognition of the Armenian genocide.

Chapter 1: The Basis of the Constitutional Order.

This chapter defines the nature of the state (sovereign, democratic, social, legal state), the power of the people, the state's restriction on human rights and freedoms, the supreme legal force of the constitution with all other legal acts, its immediate effect, the principle of separation and balance of powers, political, the basics of economic and social systems, the separation of the church from the state, the status of the armed forces, administrative-territorial organization of the state, the official language, state symbols and capital.

Chapter 2. Human Rights and Citizens' Basic Rights and Freedoms.

The Fundamental human and civil rights and freedom rights, enshrined in accordance with internationally recognized norms. Human and citizen rights and freedom rights are divided into personal, political, citizen and socio-economic rights. This chapter also sets out the specific duties of the individual and citizen, namely the duty of each person to pay taxes in a manner and amount prescribed by law, to make other obligatory payments, to uphold the Constitution and the laws, to respect the rights, freedom, and dignity of others, as well as duty of each citizen to participate in the defense of the Republic of Armenia in the manner prescribed by law.

Chapter 3: The President of the Republic.

Defines the status of the president of the Republic, his / her power, the procedure of election and the terms of office, the requirements for a candidate for president. The elections of the president of the Republic, the National Assembly, the local self-government bodies, as well as the referendum, shall be held by universal, equal and direct suffrage by secret ballot.

Chapter 4: Parliament.

Defines the status, power, procedure of elections of the legislature, the status of deputies and the procedure of election, and the legislative process.

Chapter 5: Government.

It defines the powers and procedures of the executive power - the government.

Chapter 6. Judicial Power.

It defines the structure of the judicial system, the procedure of its formation, the procedure and powers of the formation of the Constitutional Court, as well as the powers of the Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Armenia, which is separate from the judiciary, and the procedure for appointing the Prosecutor General.

Chapter 7. Local Self-Government.

Guarantees local self-government to communities, the community's right and authority to resolve issues of local importance in accordance with the Constitution and laws to secure the well-being of its residents. Local self-governing bodies are defined as the head of the community and the council, their powers, the basis of financing the communities, and the government's control over the communities.

Chapter 8. Adoption, Amendment and Referendum of the Constitution.

States that the Constitution shall be adopted and amended only by referendum, which shall be set by the President of the Republic upon the recommendation or consent of the National Assembly. Laws may also be adopted by referendum, which are subject to later amendment by referendum. Also defines the bases for a referendum.

Chapter 9. Concluding and Transitional Provisions.

Defines the transitional provisions related to constitutional amendments.

Main provisions of the constitution

The 117 articles of the Constitution are divided into nine chapters. Chapters 2-5 concern Fundamental Rights and Freedoms (chapter 2), the president of the Republic (chapter 3), the National Assembly (chapter 4), the Government (chapter 5), and the Judicial Power (chapter 6). Their main provisions are summarized here.

Fundamental Rights and Freedoms

Content here.

President of the Republic

The President of Armenia (Armenian: Հայաստանի Նախագահ, Hayastani Nakhagah) is the head of state and the guarantor of independence and territorial integrity of Armenia elected to a single seven-year term by the National Assembly of Armenia. Under Armenia's parliamentary system, the President is simply a figurehead and holds ceremonial duties, with most of the political power vested in the Parliament and prime minister.

Prime minister

The Prime Minister of Armenia is the head of government and most senior minister within the Armenian government, and is required by the constitution to "determine the main directions of policy of the Government, manage the activities of the Government and coordinate the work of the members of the Government." Also -according to the constitution-, the Prime Minister heads the Security Council, which prescribes the main directions of the country's defense policy; thus, the Prime Minister is effectively the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Armenia.

Under the 2015 constitution, the Prime Minister is the most powerful and influential person in Armenian politics. The Prime Minister is appointed by the President of Armenia upon the vote of the National Assembly. The Prime Minister can be removed by a vote of no confidence in Parliament. In the constitutional referendum held in 2015, citizens voted in favor of transferring Armenia into a parliamentary republic.

National Assembly

The National Assembly of Armenia (Armenian: Հայաստանի Հանրապետության Ազգային ժողով, Hayastani Hanrapetyut'yan Azgayin zhoghov or simply Ազգային ժողով, ԱԺ Azgayin Zhoghov, AZh), also informally referred to as the Parliament of Armenia (խորհրդարան, khorhrdaran) is the legislative branch of the government of Armenia.

Government

The Government of Armenia (Armenian: Հայաստանի Հանրապետության Կառավարություն) is the executive branch of the government in Armenia. It is an executive council of government ministers headed by the Prime Minister of Armenia.

Judicial Power

The Judiciary of Armenia interprets and applies the law 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. As per the Constitution, it is defined with a hierarchical structure headed by the Supreme Judicial Council.

Based on article 7 of the Constitution of the Republic 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.

Minorities

The Constitution sets aside four seats in Parliament for ethnic minorities, one each for Russians, Yezidis, Assyrians and Kurds, respectively.

References

The First Constitution of Armenia (5 July 1995) Archived 1 August 2009 at the Wayback Machine
"The Constitution of Armenia (27 November 2005)". Archived from the original on 17 August 2018. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
The Constitution of Armenia (27 November 2005), Chapter 3: The President of the Republic, Article 55 Archived 2008-12-25 at the Wayback Machine.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. Glenn E. Curtis and Ronald G. Suny (March 1994). "The Constitution". In Curtis, Glenn E. (ed.). Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia: country studies. Federal Research Division, Library of Congress. LCCN 94045459.
Bedevian, Astghik (2024-02-01). "Aliyev Demands Constitutional Change In Armenia". «Ազատ Եվրոպա/Ազատություն» ռադիոկայան (in Armenian). Retrieved 2024-07-30.
"Armenia 1995 (rev. 2005)". Constitute. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
"Constitution of the Republic of Armenia - Library - the President of the Republic of Armenia".
LLC, Helix Consulting. "Constitution of the Republic of Armenia - Library - The President of the Republic of Armenia [the official site]". www.president.am. Retrieved 2018-04-10.
Supreme Judicial Council of the Republic of Armenia
Edwards, Maxim (August 2, 2017). "Armenia: Ethnic Minorities Gain a Voice in Parliament". EurasiaNet. Retrieved 2017-08-02.

Armenia articles

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Sovereign states	Afghanistan Armenia Azerbaijan Bahrain Bangladesh Bhutan Brunei Cambodia China Cyprus East Timor (Timor-Leste) Egypt Georgia India Indonesia Iran Iraq Israel Japan Jordan Kazakhstan North Korea South Korea Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Lebanon Malaysia Maldives Mongolia Myanmar Nepal Oman Pakistan Philippines Qatar Russia Saudi Arabia Singapore Sri Lanka Syria Tajikistan Thailand Turkey Turkmenistan United Arab Emirates Uzbekistan Vietnam Yemen
States with limited recognition	Abkhazia Northern Cyprus Palestine South Ossetia Taiwan
Dependencies and other territories	British Indian Ocean Territory Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Hong Kong Macau
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