Since the end of last year, the process of establishing the professional commission on constitutional reforms has begun. The names of the members nominated by the parliamentary factions, as well as the legal scholars selected by the Ministry of Justice and the representatives of civil society organizations, are already known.
The Ministry of Justice published the results of the selection of candidates for members of the professional commission on constitutional reforms on 29 January. The elected legal scholars are: Anahit Manasyan, Artur Ghambaryan, Armen Mazmanyan, Arsen Tavadyan, Levon Gevorgyan and Tigran Markosyan. Among the representatives of civil society organizations (CSOs) are Karen Zadoyan, representative of the “Armenian Association of Lawyers,” and Daniel Ioannisyan, representative of the “Union of Informed Citizens.”
Below we present the biographical data of the elected members.
Anahit Manasyan.- Candidate of legal sciences, associate professor.
She graduated from the Faculty of Law of Yerevan State University and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in the United States. Since 2014 she has been lecturing at the Academy of Justice, and since January 2019 she has been the director of the academy. In 2013-2014 Anahit Manasyan held the position of advisor to the President of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Armenia, then in 2014-2016 she was senior advisor to the President of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Armenia, and from December 2016 until 2018, advisor to the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Armenia. Since December 2017 until today, Manasyan has been the editor-in-chief of the international scientific journal “Constitutional Justice.”
Artur Ghambaryan.- Doctor of legal sciences, professor. He has 25 monographs, textbooks, and more than 130 scientific articles. He graduated from Yerevan State University (YSU) and the Russian-Armenian University. He has taught at various universities, including the Russian-Armenian University and the Academy of Public Administration. In 2005-2013 he was a researcher at the scientific-educational center of the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of Armenia (School of Prosecutors), and subsequently a trainer for prosecutors at the School of Prosecutors of the Republic of Armenia. He also participated in the work of the working group established by the order of the President of the Republic of Armenia for the preparation of the draft of the new Criminal Procedure Code. In 2014-2019 Artur Ghambaryan held the position of Deputy Chairman of the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia.
Armen Mazmanyan.- Doctor of law, professor, constitutionalist. He graduated from Yerevan State University (YSU), the University of Illinois, and the European University Institute. He has worked as a lecturer at the American University of Armenia, Harvard University, and Columbia Law School. Currently Armen Mazmanyan is a professor at the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University.
Arsen Tavadyan.- Candidate of legal sciences, lawyer. He graduated from Yerevan State University. In 2013 he worked as a lecturer at the Chair of Civil Law of the Faculty of Law of Yerevan State University (YSU). From 2009 until today, Arsen Tavadyan is one of the legal advisors of the “Ter-Tachatyan” legal and business consulting closed joint-stock company (CJSC).
Among the legal scholars elected as members of the constitutional reforms commission, Levon Gevorgyan is also a lawyer, holding a master’s degree. He graduated from Yerevan State University and the Washington College of Law at the American University. He is the head of legal services at “Ernst & Young” closed joint-stock company (CJSC).
Tigran Markosyan.- Candidate of legal sciences. He graduated from Yerevan State University (YSU) and currently teaches there. In 2018-2019 he was a member of the qualification commission of the Chamber of Advocates of the Republic of Armenia, and since June 2019 he has been a member of the State Commission for the Protection of Economic Competition of the Republic of Armenia. In 2016 he participated in the work of the working group formed by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia to develop the strategic program of judicial and legal reforms of the Republic of Armenia for 2017-2020.
As a representative of a civil society organization, the president of the “Armenian Association of Lawyers” civil society organization, Karen Zadoyan, is included in the constitutional reforms commission. His work experience includes the fields of public and civil society organization (CSO) management, human rights protection, anti-corruption, and professional spheres. Karen Zadoyan is the author of the idea and founder of Iravaban.net, an independent specialized media outlet. Since 2016 he has been the head of the “Commitment to Constructive Dialogue” program funded by the European Union. He graduated from the Faculty of Law of Yerevan State University (YSU) and is a member of the Chamber of Advocates of Armenia.
Daniel Ioannisyan, coordinator of programs at the “Union of Informed Citizens,” graduated from the Faculty of Physics of Yerevan State University (YSU) in 2011. In 2010-2011 he was an assistant to Larisa Alaverdyan, a deputy of the National Assembly (NA) of the 4th convocation. In 2014 he founded the “Union of Informed Citizens” civil society organization. In 2018 Daniel Ioannisyan was the secretary of the professional commission on electoral reforms attached to the Prime Minister.
Below we also present the list of legal scholars and civil society organizations that submitted applications for inclusion in the professional commission on constitutional reforms, who were not elected.
Legal scholars: Tigran Nahapetyan, Liparit Drmeyan, Gurgen Simonyan, Armen Yezekyan, Arman Sarvaryan, Sergey Meghryan, Artyom Geghamyan, Harutyun Manukyan, Vigen Kocharyan, Davit Hakobyan, Davit Khachaturyan, Arpine Hovhannisyan, Pavel Tadevosyan, Tamara Shakaryan, Pargev Ohanyan, Haykanush Parsamyan:
Representatives of civil society organizations: Paruyr Hayrikyan (“Towards Absolute Democracy”), Norayr Hakobyan (“Trust and Cooperation”), Hayarpi Sargsyan (“Driver’s Friend”), Artur Sakunts (“Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor Office”), Artashes Khalatyan (“Armenian Institute of International and Security Affairs”), Gevorg Manukyan (“Armenian Constitutional Human Rights Center”), Tigran Yegoryan (“Europe of Law Human Rights Defender”), Armen Yesoyan (“Protection of Taxpayers’ and Employers’ Rights”), Anushavan Nikoghosyan (“You Are Not Alone” anti-corruption human rights CSO).
According to the Prime Minister’s decision, the professional commission on constitutional reforms shall be composed of 15 main members; the Minister of Justice, the representative of Armenia at the European Court of Human Rights, the Human Rights Defender shall be included ex officio, and the General Assembly of Judges must also present 1 member. The composition consists of 6 legal scholars, 2 representatives of civil society organizations, and one representative from each parliamentary faction.
The representative of the “My Step” faction in the commission is Vladimir Vardanyan, chairman of the State and Legal Affairs Committee of the National Assembly; from the “Prosperous Armenia” faction, Gevorg Petrosyan; and from “Bright Armenia,” Taron Simonyan.
