Chair of Theory and History of State and Law

The Chair of Theory and History of State and Law was founded in 1936. It was led by Associate Professor H. M. Mesropyan, Professors A. A. Yesayan, A. G. Sukiasyan, and Sh. N. Petrosyan, Doctor of legal science Kh. A. Torosyan, Associate Professor V. H. Marukhyan, Professor N. A. Apiyan, and from 2005-2021 Professor A.G. Vagharshyan.

During its activity, the chair published many valuable educational and scientific works. A special contribution was made by Kh. Samuelyan (published the first volume of the book "History of Ancient Armenian Law" in 1939, which is still considered the best source for the study of ancient Armenian law, "Culture of Ancient Armenia", etc.), distinguished scientist A. G. Sukiasyan ("Cilician Armenian state and law", "Urartan state and law", "Ancient Iranian law according to the Sasanian Book of Judgment", "Socio-political order of Armenia during the early feudalism" monographs), Professor Sh. N. Petrosyan (published several monographs dedicated to the establishment of Soviet statehood and the constitutional development of Soviet Armenia), Associate Professor V. A. Musakhanyan (researched the issues of formation and operation of local authorities of the Armenian SSR), M. M. Khachatryan ("Federation as a form of state structure", "State-legal status of TSFSR as part of USSR", etc.), Professor N.A. Apiyan ("Soviet Armenia's State Security Bodies in the Period of Building Socialism", co-author of the book "Problems of Legal Theory" (2003), etc.), Professor H. A. Hovsepyan (has published monographs on issues of the history of Armenian political and legal thought, he is also the co-author of the educational manual "History of Political and Legal Teachings" published in Moscow in 1986, 1989 and 1993).

Professor A. Vagharshyan has also done large-scale and fruitful creative work, in particular, published textbooks and training manuals on the theory of the state and law, the history of the state and law of the Armenian people, etc. Professor G. Danielyan published "Legal Activity and legal techniques" in 2021, and in 2022, "Administrative Procedure and Justice" training manuals, etc.

After 2005, the main directions of scientific research activities carried out at the chair were completely revised. A new direction was added: "Comparative jurisprudence and political science". The state-legal institutions of those countries, which are somewhat instructive from the point of view of the state-legal construction of Armenia, have been researched. The chair traditionally works in the direction of researching issues of the history of the state and law of Armenia, in particular the state legal system of the First Republic of Armenia. Among the problems of the theory of law, legal understanding and legality issues, problems of law enforcement, modern problems of law sources, basics of legal creation techniques, and issues of legal implementation techniques have become the subject of scientific research.

Currently, the chair is working according to its comprehensive development plan. In the first phase, the programs of the taught subjects were reviewed, in the second phase, work is being done in the directions of preparing textbooks, training manuals, and practicals. Based on the requirements of legal practice, one of the priority issues is the restructuring of both the content and the scope of the taught subjects. As a result, new courses with a practical orientation have already been developed and taught.

Recognized scientists, high-ranking officials of the judicial and executive bodies, and leading lawyers work in the chair. Scientist-pedagogues of the chair have published articles in prestigious international scientific journals, and most of them have received training in leading foreign universities.

In the 2020-2021 academic year, the chair created a new Master's program: "Comprehensive Legal Research". Completely new subjects taught by leading specialists in the given field have been included in the program.

Works are being carried out in the direction of teaching with a modern interactive method.

The chair also implements the "Human Rights and Constitutional Justice" master's education program.