Rights defenders criticize judicial reform in Georgia

The assessment criteria that the High Council of Justice has applied in the selection of Supreme Court Judges are incomprehensible and raise questions, while the discussion of candidates was not public, the Coalition of Human Rights NGOs of Georgia has pointed out.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on June 17, by the decision of the High Council of Justice, a total of 46 judges were appointed. Also, nine candidates for Supreme Court Judges were named to be approved by the Parliament.

On June 24, the Coalition of Human Rights NGOs criticized the Parliament about the start of the procedure of approval of Georgian Supreme Court Judges. In particular, lawyers have pointed out that the above High Council of Justice, when appointing judges, evaluates their competences behind closed doors. Thus, the information on what parameters a particular judge was selected remains hidden from NGO activists, says the report of the above Coalition.

"The decisions made by the High Council members are constantly raising questions about the fairness, impartiality and freedom from influences. It is not surprising that, despite several waves of reforms and constant legislative and institutional changes, the courts are not perceived by NGO activists as truly independent and fair institutions," the Coalition states in its report.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on June 25, 2021 at 03:39 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.