In October 2021, the Armenian parliament passed amendments significantly increasing court fees—quadrupling in some cases—in an effort to reduce court overload and improve efficiency. This marked the first such change since 1999. The Ministry of Justice argued that the rising costs were justified by Armenia’s improved socio-economic conditions and the growing burden on the judiciary.
As a result, filing fees for civil lawsuits rose from a minimum of 1,500 AMD (approx. $4) to 6,000 AMD, with a maximum set at 25 million AMD (around $64,000) for certain claims in the Court of First Instance. The reform also introduced new fees for appeals, document copies, and access to case materials.
The Ministry framed the reform as a preventive mechanism, discouraging frivolous or groundless claims that contributed to judicial congestion. However, civil society organizations, including the Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor Office and the NGO “Protection of Rights Without Borders,” argue that the new fee structure disproportionately affects low-income citizens and limits access to justice for small claims. Armenia’s then-Ombudsman Arman Tatoyan challenged the constitutionality of the reform, claiming it threatened the right to a fair trial.
Since the reform, operational costs of the judiciary have continued to rise—from 12 billion AMD in 2021 to 18 billion in 2024—while income from court fees has not kept pace. Although revenue from fees grew initially, it began declining in 2023. Meanwhile, legal aid organizations report a 2-3x increase in operational expenses as they now cover court fees for their clients.
Statistical data suggests that the reduction in caseload in 2024 cannot be solely attributed to higher fees. Other reforms, such as delegating smaller debt recovery cases to notaries and expanding the use of written procedures, have also played a role. Nonetheless, the volume of cases—especially in administrative courts—continues to rise.
To address overload, Armenia has increased the number of judges, particularly following the EU-Armenia Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA). Since 2018, around 90 new judicial positions have been added, and 60% of current judges were appointed after that year.
Despite these measures, systemic challenges persist. Some regional courts—particularly in Ararat, Kotayk, and other provinces—continue to face high caseloads, with individual judges handling over a thousand cases annually. While fee hikes and administrative streamlining have brought some relief, they fall short of addressing deeper structural imbalances.
Armenia’s experience underscores a critical lesson: financial and procedural reforms alone are not enough. Sustainable improvements in judicial efficiency and equitable access to justice require comprehensive, long-term strategies rooted in institutional reform, capacity building, and social equity.
This article was originally written in Armenian by Ofelya Simonyan
The English summary and the main image were both created using artificial intelligence tools, based on the original article written in Armenian.
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First Published: 09/06/2025
