The Public Council has expressed its position. The project is incomplete, hastily admission is dangerous

Today, the Public Council issued a joint statement on the draft law “On Prevention of Domestic Violence and Protection of Victims of Domestic Violations”, which has caused massive debate among the public.

Today’s announcement, in particular, reads:

“The Public Council has recorded that public response to the draft law reflects the fact that the family is one of the most important pillars of the Armenian value system, thanks to which our people have faced many trials for centuries. That’s why the issue requires a thorough and delicate approach. On the other hand, violence in the family cannot be out of concern of the society as it affects both the family and the fundamental human rights. In this regard, the Public Council also condemns violence in the family, considering it to be incompatible with our national mentality and finds it necessary to take measures at the highest level to combat this vicious phenomenon.

At the same time, the Public Council shares the public’s concern that, in the event of a defective law, trying to solve some of the problems in families, may be damaging to healthy families and, in general, the family institution.

Discussing the draft law, the Public Council notices a number of problematic issues.

There are also other concerns raised by different professionals and worthy of discussion.

International experience should also be explored to find out what results have been achieved in countries that have adopted domestic violence prevention laws.

Given all this and not denied the necessity of adopting the law, the Public Council believes that the bill is incomplete and the prompt adoption is dangerous.

Therefore, the Public Council proposes to postpone the adoption of the law, to organize additional public and professional open discussions, to review the most inaccurate formulations in the law, which, in case of adoption, may provide opportunities for abuses and other purposes, and make in-depth studies and analyzes”.

Full text in Armenian