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Armenian law (Armenian:Հայ իրավունք), that being the modernLegal system of Armenia (Armenian:Հայաստանի իրավական համակարգ), is a system oflaw acted inArmenia.
The modern legal system of Armenia was founded on 21 September 1991 following the1991 Armenian independence referendum and by the country's declaration ofindependence on 23 September 1991. For the evolution of Armenian law this phase was a turning point in the nation’s historical development, because it marked the beginning of the establishment of an independent, sustainable legal system guaranteeinghuman rights andfreedoms, legitimate interests, and welfare of citizens. The highest legal document of Armenian state and society – theConstitution of Armenia – was approved following the 5 July 1995referendum.
The legal system of Armenia shares the patterns and characteristics that describe the legal systems of othercivil law countries.[1] The Constitution of Armenia is based on the model of theFrench Constitution,[2] and several principal aspects of theCivil Code of Armenia depict the model code ofcivil law elaborated for theCommonwealth of Independent States.[3] In previous years, the impact of German administrative legislation on the development of the relevant legal framework of Armenia has been noted. The legal system being built on new ideological and institutional merits continues to bear influence on various practices inherent to the legal procedures of formerRepublics of the Soviet Union.
Constitutional justice in Armenia is carried out by theConstitutional Court of Armenia, and by virtue of the article 92 of Constitution and the article 15th of Judicial Code it is theCourt of Cassation of Armenia which is vested in the formation of predictable and consistent jurisprudence.
Armenia is asecular state, which presupposes regulation of public relationships solely by the state enactedlegal acts. However, theArmenian Apostolic Church played and continues to play an essential role in the protection of humanitarian values constituting an indivisible part of the moral-physiological foundations of the Armenian legal system. For the aforementioned reason the wording of article 8.1 of the Armenian Constitution states: "The Republic of Armenia recognizes the exclusive historical mission of the Armenian Apostolic Church as a national church, in the spiritual life, development of the national culture and preservation of the national identity of the people of Armenia."
Armenia participates in several bilateral and multilateral international treaties. Internationalagreements become a constitutive part of the Armenian legal system when they are ratified oradopted by the relevant national authorities. Moreover, the wording of Article 6 of the Constitution indicates: "If a ratified international treaty stipulates norms other than those stipulated in the laws, the norms of the treaty shall prevail. International treaties contradicting Constitution cannot be ratified."
Armenia is a member of several international treaties in the field of human rights and fundamental freedoms. Including the following:
Armenia is also a contracting party of theEuropean Court of Human Rights and theInternational Court of Justice. A comprehensive list of international treaties the Republic of Armenia has acceded/ratified may be found in the followingHuman Rights, 3rd edition.[4]
The system of Armenian law is another component of the legal system. It comprises the structural elements such as norms,institutes, and branches that are classified based on various criteria. Thereby the branches of law are usually classified into public and private law or substantive and procedural.
The branches of Armenian Law are divided under the classification criteria of substantive and procedural law:
The system oflegislation encompasses all the relevant legal acts regulating public and private relations within that legal system. The term "system of legislation" is applied broadly to refer to various legal acts of Armenia and, in a narrow definition, to refer to the laws adopted by theNational Assembly of Armenia.
All acts of the Armenian legal system are available onarlis. Alphabetically classified laws are available via the web-page of theNational Assembly of Armenia. The laws enacted before 2001 are available in English and Russian translations. The decisions of the Constitutional Court are available onConstitutional Court of Armenia.
On 24 November 2017, Armenia and theEuropean Union finalized theArmenia–EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement. The agreement advances the bilateral relations between the European Union and Armenia to a new, partnership level and regulates cooperation in political and economic sectors. The agreement is also designed to bring Armenian laws and regulations gradually closer to theEU acquis. The agreement contains provisions to support policy and legal reforms, while strengthening therule of law anddemocracy in Armenia.[5]
On 5 April 2024, Armenia signed a cooperation agreement withEurojust.[6][7]
On 26 March 2025, Armenia's parliament adopted a bill supportingArmenia's accession to the EU. The bill officially became law and calls on theArmenian government to begin the process of gaining membership of the EU.[8]
