The Legal Resource Center of the American University of Armenia, in collaboration with the “International and Comparative Law Center” NGO, has implemented the program titled “Justice Barometer: Measuring Judicial Response to Corruption.” This initiative involved the study and analysis of civil and criminal cases examined in the Anti-Corruption Court from its establishment until August 2024.
Based on the identified needs, the program revealed common gaps in the quality of judicial decisions, highlighted patterns and challenges in punishment policies and damage recovery, and emphasized the issue of consistency in sentencing. Additionally, the program identified challenges related to the implementation of the new Criminal Procedure Code, examined practices for ensuring reasonable timeframes in case proceedings, and outlined potential issues.
Within the scope of the program, recommendations were developed to improve the quality of judicial decisions, promote the qualified and substantiated application of judicial precedents, enhance the effectiveness and quality of court/judge activities, improve punitive policies and ensure sentencing consistency, and support the effective application of the new Criminal Procedure Code.
As part of the program, a database was created containing information on 97 criminal and 87 civil cases. Twelve interviews were conducted with experts in the field, including lawyers, judges, prosecutors, and journalists. A study and mapping of media publications concerning the Anti-Corruption Court were carried out. The research report was prepared by synthesizing theoretical literature, analysis of judicial decisions, expert interviews, and other sources.
The Justice Barometer website has also been launched, presenting a wealth of quantitative data on civil and criminal cases through charts and visual materials. Users of the website can generate the quantitative data they are interested in using online tools. Additionally, they can utilize artificial intelligence to generate the desired quantitative data. The website also features valuable resources related to the activities of the Anti-Corruption Court, including research reports, publications, and data, as well as media articles concerning the court’s activities.