JUDGES DEMAND RISE IN WAGES
Support A1+!Provide a judge with proper salary and then urge justice. The courts in Armenia will be independent only under the condition of financial independence. This is the opinion held by Ruben Nersisyan, the judge of the Court of First Instance of Kentron and Nork Marash communities. Though his salary can be rated as satisfactory he renders a part of it to the needs of the court. He noted that it’s not a judge’s obligation to think of pens and paper, electricity and phone bills or furniture. The state budget allocates too little for the juridical system. For example, all the furniture in Nersisyan’s study was purchased with his own means.
Ruben Nersisyan did not think how the constitutional reform will affect the independence of the juridical system, since the latter first of all depends on the will of the authorities.
Administering justice should be the only task of a judge, Ruben Nersisyan notes that the juridical power will become independent in only case he receives proper salary and the courts are provides with all the essential means. “The mechanism of withdrawal of a judge should as well function but it should not be too simple”, he says.
Ruben Nersisyan brought an example from the Portuguese juridical system, when one of the judges used state property – the court computer – for his own needs.
Diana Markosyan
