Armenia’s National Assembly today discussed a package of draft amendments that would pave the way for the creation of an anti-corruption court in the country.

Minister of Justice Rustam Badasyan said the court will have at least 25 judges, 20 of whom will be judges specializing in corruption cases, and 5 will be judges specializing in civil cases initiated in defense of state interests.

Badasyan said there are specialized anti-corruption courts in several countries (Afghanistan, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Croatia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Madagascar, the Philippines and Slovakia), and that they have improved the prosecution of such cases.

Bright Armenia MP Ani Samsonyan countered that countries with such courts haven’t been able to decrease corruption rates.

Samsonyan said these changes will not reduce corruption since there will be salary discrimination in the judiciary.

 The MP said it is illogical that the salary of the chairman of the anti-corruption court be higher than that of the chairman of the administrative court.

The President of the Anti-Corruption Court’s monthly salary is pegged at 892,620 AMD (including taxes), for the judge, 859,560 (including taxes).