Vahe Stepanyan was born on April 6, 1948, in Stepanakert.

Education
• 1966–1972 – Studied at and graduated from the Faculty of Law of Yerevan State University.
• 1973–1977 – Completed postgraduate studies at the All-Union Scientific Research Institute of Soviet Legislation. Candidate of Legal Sciences.
• In 1988 – Completed doctoral studies at the All-Union Scientific Research Institute of Soviet Legislation. Doctor of Legal Sciences. Author of 6 monographs and more than 30 articles.

Professional Activity
• 1972–1973 – Served in the Soviet Army.
• 1977–1990 – Junior, Senior, and subsequently Leading Research Fellow at the Department of State and Legal Studies of the Institute of Philosophy and Law of the Academy of Sciences of the Armenian SSR.
• In 1990 – Appointed Minister of Justice of Armenia by a decision of the Supreme Council of Armenia.
• 1990–1995 – Deputy Chair of the Constitutional Commission.
• In 1991, 1992, and 1993 – Reappointed to the position of Minister of Justice of Armenia by decrees of the President of Armenia.
• On February 5, 1996 – Appointed a Member of the Constitutional Court of Armenia by a decision of the National Assembly of Armenia.
• In 1996 – Elected Deputy President of the Constitutional Court of Armenia by a decision of the Constitutional Court of Armenia.
• In 1997 – Resigned from the position of Deputy President of the Constitutional Court of Armenia.
• 1997–1998 – Head of the Chair of International and National Law at Hrachya Acharyan University.
• 1998–2005 – Head of the Department of State and Legal Studies of the Institute of Philosophy, Sociology and Law of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia.
• 1999–2004 – President of the Permanent Arbitration Court of the Union of Banks of Armenia.
• 1999–2000 – Legal Adviser to the “Study of the National Drinking Water and Wastewater Sector” project of the “Cabinet Merlin” company.
• In 2002 – Co-author of the draft Laws of Armenia “On Personal Data” and “On the Population Register”.
• 2002–2003 – Head of the Chair of Local Self-Government at the Public Administration Academy of the Republic of Armenia.
• 2003–2006 – Vice-Rector of the Public Administration Academy of the Republic of Armenia.
• 2003–2006 – National Expert for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) project “Strengthening Local Self-Governance”.
• 2006–2011 – Chief of Staff of the Human Rights Defender of Armenia.
• Since April 2011 – Head of a Chair at the Armenian State Pedagogical University named after Khachatur Abovyan.
• On July 22, 2013 – Appointed, by decree of the President of Armenia, a lawyer-scientist member of the Council of Justice of Armenia.

Awards and Titles
• Doctor of Legal Sciences, Professor.
• Judge of the Highest Qualification Class (1996).