Judgment concerning Armenia

In the case of Suren Antonyan v. Armenia the Court held that there had been a violation of the right to a fair hearing as regards the alleged lack of impartiality of the Chair of the Supreme Judicial Council, and no violation of the right to a fair hearing as regards the alleged lack of independence of the Supreme Judicial Council and as regards the applicant’s alleged lack of access to a court.
The case concerned the dismissal of the applicant from his position as judge by the Supreme Judicial Council. He had been appointed as a judge of the Civil and Administrative Chamber of the Court of Cassation with tenure until the age of 65.
The Court found that the way in which non-judicial members were appointed to the Supreme Judicial Council could not be said to have compromised its independence. At the same time, the Court found that the Supreme Judicial Council had failed to dispel the applicant’s justifiable doubts concerning the impartiality of its chair and that he had not been provided with sufficient procedural safeguards in that respect.