Rights
A parliamentary republic after the 2015 constitutional referendum
The 1995 Constitution was fundamentally amended by referendum in December 2015, converting Armenia from a semi-presidential to a parliamentary republic. The transition completed in April 2018. The Constitutional Court reviews the conformity of laws with the Constitution.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — National. Armenia is a unitary state divided into ten provinces and the city of Yerevan.
Governing law
- Constitution of the Republic of Armenia 1995, as amended in 2005 and 2015
- Constitutional Law on the Constitutional Court (2018) — jurisdiction and procedure
In practice
Since the 2015 amendments took full effect the President is elected indirectly by the National Assembly for a single seven-year term and holds a largely ceremonial role. Executive power rests with the Prime Minister and government, which is accountable to the National Assembly. The Constitutional Court can be approached by individuals through a constitutional complaint after ordinary remedies are exhausted, which is a meaningful route in practice. Armenia is a Council of Europe member, so the European Convention on Human Rights is part of the applicable framework and the Constitutional Court engages directly with Strasbourg jurisprudence.