On October 20 , XXII Yerevan International Conference ended with the discussion of the topic “The Role of the Constitutional Courts in Overcoming Constitutional Conflicts.”
Session 3 was chaired by Mr. Gagik Harutyunyan, President of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Armenia. Reports were presented by Mr. Mogoeng Mogoeng, Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of South Africa (title of report: “The Role of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of South Africa in Overcoming Constitutional Conflicts”), Mr. Felix Tokhyan, Member of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Armenia (title of report: “The Role of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Armenia in Overcoming the Constitutional Conflicts”), and Ms. Desanka Lopičić, Judge, former President of the Constitutional Court of Montenegro (title of report: “Role of the Constitutional Court of Montenegro in Protection of Legal Order").
The Conference was summed up by Mr. Gagik Harutyunyan, President of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Armenia, presiding at the Session. He gladly noted that the two-day dialogue on the topic “The Role of the Constitutional Courts in Overcoming Constitutional Conflicts” was successful. The conference provided an opportunity to understand whether conflicts in one or another country could lead to a constitutional crisis if they were not overcome in time. The constitutional courts actually have to play an essential role in overcoming constitutional conflicts.
In his speech, Mr. Harutyunyan said: “We must act as a conciliator and the supporter of the rule of the Constitution, and pay the most attention to the issue of the constitutional identity of the individual. The constitutional identity of the individual is primarily determined by the fact that we are carriers of civil values. We must not forget that the Constitution is, above all, the constitutional axiology of the individual, and we must implement constitutional values by guaranteeing the basic principles of the constitution. The constitutions should have the axiological basis that derives from a common sense of the values of a given society. Constitutional identity as a set of civil values of the individual must always be put at the forefront.”
Mr. Harutyunyan shared his beliefs with colleagues-participants of the Conference as a person who studied constitutions of 117 countries of the world. In his opinion, the way to avoid constitutional crises is to overcome constitutional conflicts, and we should be able to promote legal and constitutional amendments that would guarantee the rule of the Constitution.
Mr. Harutyunyan said: “In my opinion, it is extremely important for each state that the rule of law underlied the social behavior of each individual, each citizen, the rule of law underlied the political conduct of each political institution of the state, and the rule of law underlied the public conduct of public authority.”
Mr. Harutyunyan once again thanked the participants of the Conference for the presence and active participation in discussions of important issues. Then he handed over gold commemorative medals of the RA Constitutional Court “For effective cooperation and a significant role in the sphere of constitutional justice” to persons to be awarded those medals according to the Decision of the RA Constitutional Court.
Ms. Herdis Kjerulf Thorgeirsdottir, Vice President of the Venice Commission; Mr. Igor Rogov, Chairman of the Conference of the Constitutional Control Organs of the Countries of New Democracy, President of the Constitutional Council of the Republic of Kazakhstan; Ms. Ineta Ziemele, President of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Latvia; Mr. Mogoeng Mogoeng, Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of South Africa; Mr. Petr Miklashevich, President of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Belarus; Mr. Gunars Kutris, Former President of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Latvia; Mr. Giorgi Papuashvili, Former President of the Constitutional Court of Georgia; Ms. Desanka Lopičić, Former President of the Constitutional Court of Montenegro; Mr. Sergey Mavrin, Vice President of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation, Ms. Olga Khokhryakova, Vice President of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation; Dr. Christoph Degenhart, Judge of the Constitutional Court of Saxony were awarded.
Afterwards, XXII Yerevan International Conference ended.
Today, at noon, Mr. Serzh Sargsyan, President of the Republic of Armenia hosted the participants of the Conference. Within the framework of the Conference, the guests visited the Matenadaran, Tsitsernakaberd, the National Gallery.
Tomorrow, on October 21, the guests will visit “Zvartnots” Historical and Cultural Museum and Sergey Parajanov Museum.