YEREVAN, MAY 12, NOYAN TAPAN. The amendments to be made in the RA Criminal Court Procedure Code, the RA Criminal Code, the RA Criminal Executive Code and the RA Law on Criminal Executive Service are aimed at making specifications in the punitive policy. Head of the Court and Legal Reforms Department of the RA Ministry of Justice Nikolai Arustamian told NT correspondent about it. It is envisaged to make the main specifications in such punitive measures as fine, as well as public and corrective labor. Particularly, according to N. Arustamian, it is intended to replace 2 years' imprisonment with public labor at the request of a convicted person. The Criminal Executive Code currently in force envisages such a possibility in case of availability of a court act on up to 1 year imprisonment. It is proposed abolishing corrective labor as a punitive measure, because studies show that this measure is gradually losing its effect and is not conducive to solution of the three major problems related to the use of punishment: restoration of social justice, prevention and correction of the convicted person. It is also envisaged to abolish fine as an additional punitive measure: statistical studies indicate that fine is seldom imposed as an additional punishment, while in case of its use, some problems arise. In many cases the main punishment is applied, while the additional one - fine is not. It was noted that pursuant to the RA Law on the National Assembly By-Laws, the Armenian government made a decision on May 11 to consider as urgent the package of the following draft laws: on making amendments to the RA Criminal Code, on making an addition and amendments to the RA Criminal Executive Code, on making additions to the RA Criminal Court Procedure Code, and on making amendments and additions to the RA Law on Criminal Executive Service.

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