Five of the nine RA CC members former NA members - ex-MP

ArmInfo. Five of the nine members of Armenia's Constitutional Court previously represented the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia. This was stated by former NA MP and former Chairman of the NA Committee on State and Legal Affairs Vladimir Vardanyan at a plenary session of parliament on March 24, responding to a question from independent MP Taguhi Tovmasyan.

The MP specifically inquired about what kind of impartiality is being  discussed if the current candidate for a judge of the Constitutional  Court is a member of the Civil Contract party and is running for the  Court to defend the interests of the ruling political party.  "Especially since you have long served the interests of this force,  which at one time made considerable efforts to prematurely terminate  the mandate of Constitutional Court member Hrayr Tovmasyan, a former  member of the Republican Party. "What's the difference now?" the  opposition MP asked.

In response, Vladimir Vardanyan expressed regret over Hrayr  Tovmasyan's early termination of his mandate. The latter's problem  stems from the fact that he was appointed to the Constitutional Court  in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution, which ceased  to exist just a few days later. "The situation is different now, and  we are on a different level of the issue," Vladimir Vardanyan  emphasized.

He reminded that for seven years now, every member of parliament has  been under oath. The text of this oath clearly requires compliance  with the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia. "From the moment  you take the oath, you assume obligations and, regardless of your  political leanings and preferences, you are obligated to act in  accordance with that oath," Vardanyan said, adding that he sees  certain risks of political bias, particularly when moving from a  political position to a Constitutional Court judge.

As a reminder, Vladimir Vardanyan was nominated for a Constitutional  Court judgeship by RA President Vahagn Khachaturyan. The  Constitutional Court consists of nine judges (three candidates each  nominated by the president, the government, and the General Assembly  of Judges). They are approved by the RA National Assembly. The term  of office for each CC member is 12 years.

From 2003 to 2006, Vardanyan served as the chief specialist in the  legal advisory service of the Constitutional Court. From 2006 to  2013, he headed the CC's international treaties department, and from  2013 to 2016, he headed the corresponding service.

From 2016 to 2018, he served as an advisor to the Constitutional  Court, and in 2019, he became the chief of staff of the  Constitutional Court. That same year, Vardanyan was elected to  parliament from the My Step bloc, and in 2021, he was elected on the  Civil Contract party list.