Vice speaker offers a way to temporarily suspend lifetime appointment of judges
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Monday, February 25
Vice Parliament Speaker Tamar Chugoshvili has offered a way of how the suspend the lifetime appointment of judges temporarily until the law which will provide the clear criteria for the selection and appointment of judges is adopted.
The initiative comes in the wake of the court-related turmoil, which was caused by the presentation of the list of ten judges in the Supreme Court of Georgia for lifetime appointment last December.
The list, which was grilled by the civil sector, non-judge members of the High Council of Justice and several leading figures of the ruling party, was presented by the High Council of Justice, a 15-member independent body which is responsible for the selection of appointment of judges.
Non-judge members of the council Anna Dolidze and Nazi Janezashvili say that the judge members of the council are under the control of a “clan”, which is composed of the judges who would deliver biased verdicts under the United National Movement leadership.
Appointment of judges in the Supreme Court requires voting in parliament. However, in other courts, the council has the right to appoint lifetime judges itself.
Despite the fact the parliament postponed discussions around the list of judges for the Supreme Court before the adoption of a law on selection and appointment of judges, the High Council continues the appointment of controversial, lifetime judges in other courts.
Chugoshvili has initiated the withdrawal of the five non-judge members from the council who were appointed there with the parliament’s quota.
“The withdrawal will disable the High Council to continue the appointment of judges until the relevant law is adopted,” Chugoshvili says.
Nazi Janezashvili, who is one of the most active non-judge members in the council, “fighting against the clan,” is also appointed by parliament in the council.
“If Levan Murusizde, Mikheil Chinchaladze and other leaders of the clan refuse to be judges, I will leave the council,” Janezashvili stated.
Chugoshvili says that she will hold consultations regarding the initiative.
The former head of the Georgia Young Lawyers Association Anna Natsvlishvili says that Chugoshvili’s initiative is “running away from problems,” as it is trying to fight the results rather than reasons.
The High Council of Justice underwent major changes in 2013, under the Georgian Dream leadership.
According to the amendments the High Council of Justice is now composed of 15 members.
Eight members are elected by the self-governing body of judges, five members -by the Parliament of Georgia and one member is appointed by the president.
The lifetime appointment of judges was offered by the GD government in 2015 with the reason to boost guarantees for judges and support the unbiased judiciary.
