17/12/2013 18:45
Hrayr Tovmasian: Arrest as sanction to be used in last resort
The new draft Code of Criminal Procedure stipulates the introduction of alternative measures of criminal punishment in Armenia such as house arrest and administrative control, Armenian Justice Minister Hrayr Tovmasian said during a briefing today.
“The introduction of alternative measures of criminal punishment will enable to relieve the burden of penal institutions. In other words, arrest will be used in the last resort when other measures are ineffective,” the minister said.
H. Tovmasian said the Code of Criminal Procedure is one of the main and pivotal legal acts of Armenia’s juridical system. However, time and the fast changing world require that changes be made and new guidelines introduced in activities of a number of institutions.
By the new draft Code of Criminal Procedure, the confession of an accused person is not a sufficient ground for charging that person if other proof is absent.
Besides, according to the minister, the role of courts will be enhanced thanks to the new Code of Criminal Procedure. He assured those present that the upcoming changes will considerably improve the situation in the field of criminal justice.