Discussion on “Public Works as an Effective Means of Restorative Justice”
On June 27, 2024, the “Protection of Rights Without Borders” NGO held a public discussion on the sub-grant project “Community service as an effective means of restorative justice.” This project has been implemented in the framework of the “Justice Reforms Monitoring in Armenia” project, funded by the financial support of the European Union.
The public discussion aimed at presenting the Report and Policy Brief prepared based on the research and analysis conducted within the project. This included research on legal regulations of community service in Armenia and international standards and experiences, as well as efficiency of practical application and the issues of community service as criminal sanction in Armenia.
The project was implemented in three regions of Armenia and in Yerevan. Beneficiaries were judges, prosecutors, lawyers, employers, beneficiaries and officers of the Probation Service.
Representatives from the Probation Service, the General Prosecutor’s Office, the National Assembly, the Office of the Human Rights Defender, the Chamber of Advocates, other state and community bodies, employer organizations, and civil society organizations were participating in the discussion.
Various aspects and challenges related to the selection and implementation stages of the community service as criminal sanction were discussed, including the regulatory framework of the community service according to the Criminal Code, types of community service, cooperation and oversight mechanisms with employer organizations, and other aspects of implementation of this criminal sanction. The project team presented recommendations in relation to the issues revealed. Participants of the discussion, representatives of relevant bodies working in the field and organizations shared their observations and opinions related to the discussed issues concerning the community service and presented recommendations.
As a result of the meeting based on question and answer and constructive cooperation, it was decided to carry out revisions in the research Report and the Policy Brief. It is planned to present the “Community service as an effective means of restorative justice” report and the package of recommendations to stakeholders and decision-makers with a view to ensuring sectorial reforms together with the members of ‘Juremonia’ platform established under the framework of the “Justice Reforms Monitoring in Armenia” program.