Supreme Court replacement leads to wide speculation
By Tea Mariamidze
Monday, January 12
President Giorgi Margvelashvili has refrained from revealing the name of the candidate who will be presented as the new head of the Supreme Court of Georgia. Meanwhile, MPs appeal to the president to consult with them concerning the candidate.
The 10-year term of the current Chair of the Supreme Court Kote Kublashvili expires in February of 2015.
A new candidate should be selected by the President and then parliament must approve it.
The candidate should meet the following criteria: Education in the legal field, 5-years of work experience in this specialty and there is also an age limit.
Several media outlets have named current Secretary of the Security Council Irine Imerlishvili as the top replacement. The Security Council operates under the president, and the media speculates that Imerlishvili will be Margvelashvili’s pick.
MPs Eka Beselia and Zakaria Kutsnashvili were also possible candidates.
MPs from the majority and minority have refrained from commenting on a candidate until the person is officially named.
Former head of Georgia’s Young Lawyers’ Association Kakha Kozhoridze said that the individual who will take the post should be a non-political figure.
“I welcome those in the post who take no political posts currently,” Kozhoridze said.
Minister of Justice Thea Tsulukiani is “looking forward” to the date when Kublashvili leaves the post, as according to her, Kublashvili had hindered progress in Georgia’s court system.
