The RA Investigative Committee was established on 19 May 2014, based on the RA Law "On the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia," adopted by the RA National Assembly
which fully regulated the formation and activities of the newly created investigative body, the procedure and conditions for entering to service in it, the rights and obligations of its personnel, legal and social guarantees, and other relations related to the service․

After the law was signed and entered into force, the Chairman of the Investigative Committee made appointments to investigative service positions, which were substantially completed by October 8, 2014, and that day was designated as the Day of the Investigative Committee Officer by the decision of the RA Government.

The powers of the Investigative Committee include the organization and conduction of the preliminary investigation related to alleged crimes, falling within its jurisdiction as prescribed by the RA Criminal Procedure Code.

In the years following the adoption of the RA Law "On the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia", necessary amendments and supplements were made to it by a total of 15 laws adopted by the National Assembly, which reviewed and completed the legal regulations related to entering to service in the Investigative Committee, the rights and obligations of persons holding autonomous positions, their status, remuneration, legal and social guarantees of activity, and other issues.

A significant step toward the establishment of a unified investigative body was the decision to transfer the investigative divisions of the inquiry bodies to the structure of the RA Investigative Committee. The RA National Assembly commenced the practical implementation of this reform in 2021, in parallel with the drafting and adoption of the new Criminal Procedure Code of the Republic of Armenia. On 30 June 2021, the  RA National Assembly adopted the new Criminal Procedure Code of the Republic of Armenia, which entered into force on 1 July 2022. Furthermore, pursuant to the provisions of the new Criminal Procedure Code, the inquiry function was abolished, and the positions of inquiry officers were transferred to the staff list of the Investigative Committee.

The aforementioned legislative amendments were followed by Orders N 1-L of 3 January 2023 and N 3-L of 5 January 2024 issued by the Chairman of the Investigative Committee. These orders introduced amendments and supplements to Order N 73-L of 1 July 2021 of the Chairman of the Investigative Committee, entitled "On Approving the Structure and Staff List of Main Professional Structural Subdivisions of the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia." As a result, the General Department for Investigation of Economic Crimes and Smuggling, and the General Department for Investigation of Crimes against the State, Fundamentals of the Constitutional Order and Public Security were established within the Central Office of the Investigative Committee, together with their respective organizational structures and staffing establishments.

The transfer of the mentioned investigative subdivisions into the system of the RA Investigative Committee was fully consistent with the strategic objective of removing investigative bodies from the system of the executive branch. As a result of transfer to the system of the RA Investigative Committee, these bodies were relieved of the burden of departmental subordination, and the inevitable risks associated with such subordination in ensuring the objectivity and impartiality of preliminary proceedings were also mitigated. Their integration within a unified structure contributed to the standardization of the principles of the organization and conduction of preliminary investigation, work organization, and methods and forms of planning preliminary investigation, as well as to the centralization of the investigative system, the improvement of its structure, and the enhancement of the level of coordination among investigative subdivisions, which provided reliable guarantees for the effectiveness of the organization and conduct of preliminary investigation.

This objective was also pursued through the establishment of “Expert Forensic Center of the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia” SNPO, by the RA Government Decision N 650-N of 2 May 2024. This objectively matured reform made it possible to enhance the effectiveness of expert support provided during the conduction of evidentiary and other procedural actions by investigators, as well as of ensuring the constitutional right of participants in preliminary investigations and criminal proceedings to have proceedings investigated within a reasonable time.

The effective exercise of preliminary investigative powers by the investigative body is one of the key prerequisites for the proper functioning of the criminal justice system and a decisive factor in the success of the State’s criminal policy. Properly organized preliminary investigation is an important guarantee of the establishment of the rule of law in the country, the strengthening of efforts to combat crime, the prompt and full disclosure of crimes, and the issuance of lawful, well-founded, and fair judicial decisions against persons who have committed crimes. Accordingly, the further improvement of the legislative mechanisms of the implementation of preliminary investigative powers, the strengthening of the procedural independence and autonomy of investigators, and the expansion of their legal and social guarantees are important benchmarks in enhancing the effectiveness of preliminary investigation.