Law in Armenia

Armenia has a civil-law legal system. Most rules are written in the Constitution, codes, laws, and other formal legal acts rather than built mainly from earlier court decisions. The Constitution is the highest domestic legal foundation. It describes the structure of the state, divides public powers, and protects basic rights such as equality, property, privacy, fair proceedings, and freedom of expression. The National Assembly adopts laws, while the government and other public bodies issue and apply more detailed rules within their authority. A lower-level rule should not conflict with a higher-level rule. Private law covers relationships between people and organizations. Important areas include contracts, property, inheritance, family matters, employment, and the legal forms and activities of businesses. Public law governs the use of state power. It includes constitutional, administrative, tax, and criminal law, as well as procedures for challenging decisions made by public authorities. Armenia has courts dealing with civil, criminal, and administrative matters, with review available through higher courts according to procedural rules. The Constitutional Court has a special role in questions about constitutional compatibility and constitutional powers. A typical legal matter begins with collecting documents, identifying the responsible person or authority, and making a written request or claim. If direct resolution fails, the matter may continue through an administrative complaint, mediation or negotiation where suitable, or formal court proceedings. Written evidence is especially important in practice. Contracts, receipts, official decisions, registration records, correspondence, and proof of delivery can determine what rights exist and whether a required step was taken. Legal rights have limits and usually come with procedures. A strong claim can still be harmed by delay, the wrong forum, missing evidence, unclear translation, or failure to follow the required form, so early legal guidance can be valuable.