Armenia`s Council of  Chamber of Advocates labels statement made by  Supreme Judicial Council regarding   professional activities of  lawyers as unacceptable

ArmInfo. The Council of the Chamber of Advocates of Armenia (hereinafter referred to as  the Council) has responded to the Supreme Judicial Council's (SJC)  accusation against lawyers.

The statement was made following a meeting of the Council,  attended by Council Chairman Simon Babayan and Council members Marina Farmanyan, Roman Aharonyan, Tamara Baghdasaryan, Varazdat Harutyunyan, Arsen Harutyunyan, David  Vardikyan, Emin Beglaryan, Ruben Hakobyan, David Melkonyan, Pavel  Gyulumyan, and Tsolak Margaryan. 

The Council's statement, published by the Chamber of Advocates,  recalls that on February 20, 2026, the Supreme Judicial Council  published a statement on the official website of the judiciary. The  statement asserted that a number of messages posted by lawyers on  social media, addressed to judges, do not follow the norms of  professional ethics and tend to discredit the authority of the judge  and the entire judicial system. It also highlighted the concern that  when a court decision is being made, another important institution  involved in it, some representatives of the legal community present  their own opinions to the public as the absolute truth in public  forums, which is extremely disturbing; lawyers sometimes use veiled  formulations such as "in my opinion," "it seems," and "I believe" to  protect themselves.

In the same publication, the Supreme Judicial Council claimed that  lawyers with large social media audiences use "predictable patterns,"  attributing this to lawyer Ara Zohrabyan. "In connection with the  above, the Chamber Council considers it necessary to emphasize that  any issue concerning the conduct of a lawyer may be discussed  exclusively within the framework of the law and, in particular,  within the framework of the mechanisms established by the Law on  Advocacy. Consequently, discussion of the conduct of lawyers through  statements by state bodies, and especially bodies representing the  judiciary, does not follow from the requirements of the  aforementioned mechanisms, nor from their powers established by law.

At the same time, the Chamber Council considers it necessary to  emphasize that lawyers are independent in the exercise of their  professional activities and are not deprived of the opportunity to  provide legal assessments within the framework of legal ethics, as  well as to express critical opinions. Moreover, in some cases, such  critical opinions are an element of the content of legal activity,"  the Chamber Council stated after discussing the claims of the Supreme  Judicial Council.

It is also emphasized that interference by state bodies, and  especially representatives of the judiciary, in criticism expressed  by a lawyer in the professional sphere goes beyond democratic  principles and limits the lawyer's professional activity. The  Chamber's Council emphasized that lawyers cannot be subjected to any  form of persecution, regardless of the nature, for carrying out their  professional activities. Such actions have a restrictive effect on a  lawyer's legal professional activity and lead to intimidation. They  undermine the entire system of human rights protection and are  completely unacceptable.

"Article 64 of the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia guarantees  the practice of law based on the independence, self-governance, and  equality of lawyers. One of the key guarantees of a lawyer's  activity, as outlined in the law, is their independence in  professional activity. A lawyer's independence is a prerequisite for  ensuring high-quality legal assistance to citizens and, accordingly,  for securing the practical protection of the rights enshrined in the  Constitution. The Law on Advocacy stipulates that, in their  professional activities, a lawyer is authorized and even obligated to  make every effort to protect the rights, freedoms, and interests of  the person receiving legal assistance, using all means and methods  not prohibited by law," the Chamber's Council added,  listing  international conventions that support the free exercise of lawyers,  including the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of the  Profession of Lawyers.  "The Chamber Council considers the statement  of the Supreme Judicial Council regarding the professional activities  of lawyers and a specific lawyer to be unacceptable, viewing it as an  unlawful action and interference with the independence of lawyers.

Based on the above and guided by the requirements of Article 10 of  the Law "On the Bar," the Chamber Council resolves to condemn the  statement of the Supreme Judicial Council made on February 20, 2026,  regarding the professional activities of lawyers. Furthermore, while  harsh criticism (but not offensive) by lawyers of judges may occur,  it complies with Article 10 (Freedom of Expression) of the Convention  for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms," the  Chamber Council's statement reads.