Armenia moves to introduce remote judicial hearings

ArmInfo.  Armenia will allow for remote court hearings using video communication for  defendants and convicts. The National Assembly of the Republic of  Armenia will discuss amendments to the relevant package of bills in  the first reading at its plenary session on June 16.

Minister of Internal Affairs Arpine Sargsyan presented the bill,  highlighting that the initiative is designed to enhance the safety of  trial participants, protect their rights and freedoms, prevent  potential crimes, and ensure that trials are conducted within a  reasonable timeframe.

According to the proposed amendments, participation of a defense  attorney will be required. The lawyer must be physically present with  the accused or convict at the location of their detention (such as a  penitentiary facility, police station, or pre-trial detention  center). Also, the system must ensure that all parties can  communicate effectively, examine evidence, and review case materials  in real-time. If these conditions cannot be met due to technical or  other reasons, the court will not be permitted to conduct the hearing  remotely.

The initiative requires significant technical upgrades to the  infrastructure of detention centers, penitentiaries, and courtrooms.  Both the accused and the court itself may propose the use of video  conferencing, provided there are sufficient grounds The Minister  noted that significant state resources are currently spent on  transporting detainees to court, and remote hearings would provide a  more efficient use of these resources while maintaining security  standards.