Defendants are richer than defenders
Not only sociably vulnerable people but also wealthy people apply to a public defender in Armenia.
"A pesron getting free aid picks up his defender in luxurious cars like Limousine or Mercedes. Courts have no time to clarify whether the person is solvent or not. I think some mechanism must be worked out in this context," Masis Ghazanchyan, Head of the Publuc Defender Office, told A1+.
"Today 37 legal services render asssitance to people in Armenia with 17 operating in Yerevan and the others in marzes. Public defenders are over-busy these days which is conditioned by the increase of crimes. Each public defender studies 11-12 cases a week. They become overexhausted," noted Mr. Ghazanchyan.
The head of the Publuc Defender Office says the office needs to be reinforced with new advocates. By the state budget 156 million drams have been allotted to the office this year. The salary of a public defender is 293 906 drams though Mr. Ghazanchyan says the high salary does not make public defenders work diligently.
"We have some defenders in marzes with whom I would eagerly break the contract, but I cannot do is as they have no substitutes. We really have no reserve. For example, there are no defenders in Meghri. In Syunik, Sisian, Goris and Kapan defenders are employed half-time. Occasionally people refuse from the service of a public defender."
Public defender Siranuysh Harutyunyan says today people are more informed of the service and apply to public defenders more frequently.
"They know that they will not have to pay extra money when a public defender deals with their case. We have had many achievements, acquitted many defenders and dismissed numerous cases on different grounds," she said.
