Justice Minister: Drafting of Armenia’s proposed new constitution completed

Minister of Justice Srbuhi Galyan announced on Monday that the text of the proposed new Constitution, developed to replace the current one via referendum, is ready and will be discussed at the ruling Civil Contract party’s board meeting, as well as by its parliamentary faction.

Galyan made the announcement during the first session of the ministry's public council. “The Constitutional Reform Council is working very actively. We hold meetings every week, and the text is ready, as I promised. However, I don’t have any news about its publication yet, because it has been decided to also discuss the text within the Civil Contract party board and parliamentary faction. After that, a decision will be made regarding its publication,” the minister said.

The minister clarified that the conceptual provisions of the draft new Constitution of Armenia had been previously developed, while the text itself was drafted based on those provisions.

According to Galyan, the approach is as follows: the focus is on the individual-the citizen, the people-while there is no deviation from the established system of governance.

“We believe that the best expression of the principles of democracy lies in parliamentarism. But we have made significant changes in the context of trying to further decentralize the branches of power and balance them, for example, by providing oversight mechanisms to the National Assembly over the activities of the Prime Minister, and so on,” Galyan said.

Regarding the judicial branch, the draft will allow for the institution of the jury system. It will also, as a principle, provide for the possibility of two-tier appeals, written case examination, and the ability to appeal decisions of the Supreme Judicial Council-options that do not exist today.

Galyan had earlier announced that the text of the draft new Constitution would be published in March 2026.