DUSHANBE, May 15, 2013, Asia-Plus – A meeting to discuss implementation of judicial reforms in Tajikistan took place in Dushanbe on May 14.

In the framework of the Judicial-Legal Reform Program for 2011-2013, the draft Constitutional law “On the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Tajikistan” was discussed at the meeting.

President of the Constitutional Court of Armenia Gagik Harutyunyan, who is also Chairman of the Constituent Conference of Constitutional Control Organs of Countries of Young Democracy and member of the European Commission for Democracy through Law, which the Council of Europe''s advisory body on constitutional matters, attended the meeting.

Mr. Gagik Harutyunyan presented an expert opinion on the draft law “On the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Tajikistan.”

The meeting participants also included representatives from President’s Office, courts and relevant governmental bodies of Tajikistan.

Mahkam Mahmoudov, Chairman of the Constitutional Court of Tajikistan and his Armenian counterpart Gagik Harutyunyan signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation between the constitutional courts of the two nations.

A constitutional court is a high court that deals primarily with constitutional law.  Its main authority is to rule on whether or not laws that are challenged are in fact unconstitutional, i.e. whether or not they conflict with constitutionally established rights and freedoms.