Court Examination of Bar Association Claims Postponed Until April 11

COURT EXAMINATION OF CLAIMS CONTESTING RESULTS OF ELECTIONS OF CHAMBER
OF LAWYERS POSTPONED UNTIL APRIL 11

YEREVAN, APRIL 1, NOYAN TAPAN. On March 31, the court of first
instance of Kentron and Nork-Marash communities of Yerevan (chaired by
Judge Ruben Nersisian) started examining the claims that were
submitted by a a number of lawyers and contest the results of the
elections of the RA Chamber of lawyers. 5 of 6 the claims filed have
been included in one legal action – 2 claims filed by the lawyers
Ruben Sahakian, Artur Grigorian and Ara Zakarian contest the decisions
taken by chairman of the Chamber, the claims of lawyers Liparit
Simonian, Hayk Alumian and Sos Grigorian – all the decisions made by
the constituent assembly. At the sitting, lawyer Ruben Sahakian, a
candidate for chairman of the Chamber of lawyers, submitted an
application requesting to change the grounds and subject of the
claim. The lawyer asked that all the decisions made the constituent
assembly of the Chamber be declared invalid, incliding the results of
the Chamber Chairman elections, since these decisions were made in
gross violation of the RA Civil Code and the RA Law on Advocacy. The
claimant also asked the court to oblige th RA Union of Lawyers and the
International Union of Lawyers to hold the general meetings on the
issues of approving the merger and transfer acts within 15 days, as
well as to oblige them to approve, prior to holding the constituent
assembly of the RA Chamber of Lawyers, the procedure for holding the
Chamber’s constituent assembly, the draft regulations of the Chamber
and the draft regulations of the lawyer behavior at the joint sitting
of the councils and submit these documents to the Chamber constituent
assembly for approval. The lawyer also asked the court to oblige the
eldest lawyer to hold the Chamber’s constituent assembly within 15
days of the decisions of the Union’s general meetings on the approval
of the transfer and merger acts, as well as to put on the agenda the
issues of approving the procedure for holding the assembly, the
Chamber regulations and the lawyer behavior regulations and the issue
of electi! ons of al l the bodies of the Chamber. The court postponed
the examination until April 11 in order to ensure the presence of 12
lawyers on the side of the defandant. The claimant requests that
licences for parctising advocacy given to them by the RA Chamber of
Lawyers be invalidated, since persons who have no certificates of the
Highest Qualification Commission can neither be considered lawyers nor
vote at the general meeting of the Chamber.