judicial independence

Georgian parliament overturns president’s veto of judicial bill

By | February 13th, 2017|Categories: Legal reform|Tags: , , , |

(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Opposition parties in the former Soviet republic of Georgia warn that the independence of the courts will be weakened after the ruling party overturned the president’s veto against a judicial reform bill. The so-called third wave of judicial reform was vetoed […]

Two of Georgia’s Supreme Court judges claim they were pressured

By | February 3rd, 2017|Categories: News|Tags: , , |

Rustavi 2 director Nika Gvaramia. TBILISI, DFWatch–Two judges in the Supreme Court of the former Soviet republic of Georgia have filed a formal request to the country’s top prosecutor to investigate an attempt to influence them. The case led to an exchange of strong claims and counterclaims on Friday, […]

Chief judge at Tbilisi City Court fired

By | February 24th, 2016|Categories: News|Tags: , , , |

Mamuka Akhvlediani. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The chief judge at Tbilisi City Court was fired on Tuesday, sparking speculation that it might have something to do with his recent statements about corruption in the court and other controversial topics. Twelve members of the High […]

New US-trained judge candidates taking exams in Georgia

By | September 20th, 2014|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: , |

The High Council of Justice is the highest authority in Georgia’s legal system, not the Supreme Court. TBILISI, DFWatch–A new cohort of judge candidates are taking qualification exams September 20 and 27, under the auspices of the High Council of Justice. The exams are held at the Technical University’s first building and for the first time conducted electronically. […]

The Georgian Judiciary Today

By | November 19th, 2013|Categories: Opinion|Tags: , |

Eka Khutsishvili. I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that his justice cannot sleep forever.-Thomas JeffersonThe judiciary is in permanent need of control from the side of an impartial and quality observer with a view to ensuring its existence. We are still on […]

Georgia’s courts are finally becoming more independent

By | August 10th, 2013|Categories: NGO news|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch–The judiciary system has progress after the October 1, 2012, parliamentary election, a new survey has shown. Transparency International Georgia (TIG) has scrutinized the changes in the judiciary system during the last year and concluded that the […]

Study shows Georgian courts have turned a negative trend

By | July 29th, 2013|Categories: NGO news|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch–According to a new study by Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI), the changes in the judiciary system after the October 1, 2012, parliamentary election have been positive. IDFI writes that 140 million lari (USD 85 million) […]

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Georgians think country is mostly corruption free, except courts

By | July 10th, 2013|Categories: NGO news|Tags: , |

51% of Georgians think the courts are extremely or very corrupt. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia has one of the lowest rates of bribery among the 107 countries included on the Global Corruption Barometer survey, but 51% think the courts are extremely or very corrupt. Georgians still perceive the judiciary, the media and parliament as […]

Preventive Measures in Criminal Cases

By | May 5th, 2013|Categories: Opinion|Tags: , |

Tinatin Avaliani is Project Analyst at Georgian Young Lawyer’s Association. On April 2, 2012 GYLA held a presentation of trial monitoring results focused on criminal cases in the city courts of Tbilisi and Kutaisi. The trial monitoring was conducted within the framework of the USAID funded Judicial Independence and Legal Empowerment Project […]

After government change, courts are still biased in Georgia

By | April 3rd, 2013|Categories: NGO news|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch–A new report shows that there were some positive changes in the Georgian judiciary system from June 1 to October 31, 2012, but there still are a lot of problems. “There are some positive changes in the judiciary […]

Impartiality and Georgian Courts

By | December 15th, 2011|Categories: Opinion|Tags: , |

Almost a century ago an English judge, Lord Chief Justice Hewart, pronounced his famous aphorism: “… it is not merely of some importance but is of fundamental importance, that justice should not only be done, but should manifestly and undoubtedly be seen to be done.” (R v Sussex Justices; Ex parte McCarthy [1924]). Since then these [...]

Lawyer on hungerstrike

By | December 2nd, 2011|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - A famous Georgian lawyer is in his sixth day of hunger strike, protesting against the lack of independence of the country’s courts. Zurab Rostiashvili started his hunger strike November 27 because he thinks that in every single case he has worked on, the court has found an innocent person guilty. Due to official [...]

Judiciary’s Inadequate Level of Transparency as an Intended Governmental Policy

By | November 14th, 2011|Categories: Opinion|Tags: , |

The judiciary’s inadequate level of transparency remains both a main issue and challenge in Georgia. Though the judicial system has undergone numerous reforms in recent years, these reforms did not preserve or promote a more open judiciary, and in fact, judicial transparency was targeted most effectively by the establishment of a closed court system. As a [...]

State of the Judiciary in Georgia

By | October 21st, 2011|Categories: Opinion|Tags: |

The quality and degree of democracy and freedom in a state, among some other factors, depends on the level of judicial independence. The principle that the judiciary must be independent from both legislative and executive branches of government is built in a constitutional idea of the separation of powers. Furthermore, judicial independence is one of the [...]