CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA

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CHAPTER 9

Provisions For The Transitional Period

Article 115. This Constitution shall enter into force based on the referendum results and upon its publication.

Article 116. From the moment the Constitution enters into force:

I) The 1978 Constitution, its subsequent amendments and supplements, as well as related constitutional laws shall become inoperative;

2) Laws and other legal acts of the Republic of Armenia shall have the force of law to the extent they do not contravene this Constitution;

3) The President of the Republic shall exercise the powers reserved to him or her by the Constitution. Until the expiration of his powers, the Vice-President of the Republic shall carry out the instructions of the President of the Republic;

4) The National Assembly shall exercise the powers reserved to it by the Constitution. The provisions of Section I of Article 63, Article 64 and Section I of Article 65 of the Constitution shall apply to the sessions of the next National Assembly. Until that time, Articles 4 and 5 of the Constitutional Law dated March 27, 1995, shall be effective;

5) Until the formation of the Constitutional Court, international treaties shall be ratified without its determination;

6) Until the adoption of legislation pertaining to regional governments and local self-governing bodies in conformity with the Constitution, current village, town, city and regional councils of deputies and their executive bodies shall continue to exercise their powers as prescribed by law.

Until legislation on territorial government and local self-government is adopted, the right to adopt a vote of no confidence toward the chairmen of deputies to the city and regional councils belongs to the National Assembly;

7) Until the adoption of legislation pertaining to court systems and procedures and the establishment of the new judicial system in conformance with the Constitution, the regional (city) people’s courts and the Supreme Court shall continue to operate in accordance with their previous authorities;

8) Until the establishment of economic courts, the State Arbitrage shall continue to operate in accordance to their previous prerogatives;

9) The authority of the judges of the regional (city) people’s court shall be extended for a maximum period of six months, during which the President of the Republic, upon the recommendation of the Judicial Council, shall appoint new judges for these courts for a period of three years;

I0) The authority of the members of the Supreme Court shall be extended until the establishment of the court of appeals, but not for a period to exceed three years;

11) Until the institution of the new judicial system, the Judicial Council shall consist of eleven members appointed by the President of the Republic, composed of two legal scholars, six judges and three public prosecutors. Three Council members shall be appointed from among the judges of the regional (city) people’s courts and three from the Supreme Court, in accordance with the provisions of Article 94 of the Constitution.

The Council shall be headed by the President of the Republic. The Minister of Justice and the Prosecutor General shall serve as its Council’s Vice Presidents.

The Judicial Council shall exercise the powers reserved to it by the Constitution;

12) Until the passage of the law on the Office of the Persecutor General, the latter shall exercise the powers reserved for to it by the Constitution in accordance with current legislation;

13) The Supreme Court shall review court verdicts, judgments and decisions which have the force of law, when these are appealed by the Prosecutor General, his or her deputies and specially licensed lawyers registered with the Supreme Court;

14) Until the Criminal Code is made to conform with the Constitution, current procedures for searches and arrests shall remain in effect.

Article 117. The day the Constitution is adopted shall be proclaimed a holiday known as Constitution Day