Speaker: Procedure of Selection of Judges In Georgia Is More Transparent than in EU, US
By Tea Mariamidze
Friday, April 26
Georgia’s Parliament Speaker, Irakli Kobakhidze stated that the selection process of the judges in Georgia might be a hundred times more transparent compared to the ones that exist in the United States and the European Union countries.
Kobakhidze made the statement on Thursday, after another wave of criticism of the bill on the selection of judges, which has been initiated by him and has already passed two hearings at the parliament.
He says the draft-bill on Common Courts sets an unprecedented transparent procedure and is grounded on common interests.
The Speaker called on the opponents to name at least one country which has better procedures for the selection of the judges.
“This procedure has no analogue in any European Union country. The draft law has a guarantee that ultimately the Parliament will elect the honest and highly qualified judges of the Supreme Court. You can also see the United States’ procedure, which is not as ensured as the one, offered by the bill,” he said.
Kobakhidze also excluded that the draft can be returned to the second hearing again, which was demanded by the former member of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD), Eka Beselia, who now is an independent MP and criticizes the bill.
Beselia claims that the recent comment of the Acting US Ambassador Ross Wilson that he is a bit disappointed that the bill drafted by the Ruling party does not fully reflect the recommendations of the EU, Council of Europe, OSCE and Venice Commission of the Council of Europe, means the bill should not proceed to the third hearing yet and needs to be revised by the parliament.
The MP left in protest the joint meeting with the MPs, NGOs and the Public Defender over the issue on Thursday, saying the bill is not in line with the recommendations.
Kobakhidze and several other ruling party MPs drafted a bill on the selection and appointment of judges in the wake of controversial nomination of 10 judges for the Georgian Supreme Court by the High Council of Justice, a body responsible for selection and appointment of judges in the country, back in December 2018.
The nomination was grilled as NGOs, opposition and several members of the ruling party stated that the list included the judges who used to deliver biased verdicts under the United National Movement leadership.
After the criticism, Kobakhidze addressed the Venice Commission, asking to evaluate the amendments containing the provisions on the selection and appointment of Supreme Court judges, including the main draft initiated by him and GD MPs which was adopted by Parliament with the first reading on March 20.
The recommendations of the Venice Commission said that the bill should set higher age standard for candidates, non-judge candidates should not be forced to pass an exam in law, a secret balloting should be rejected during voting, a High Council of Justice member, who would run for judge, must be banned from voting and several others.
The ruling party said that only one recommendation related to secret balloting has not been taken into account, adding all the others were considered and reflected in the bill.
The parliament adopted the bill with the second hearing on April 19, after the Venice Commission issued recommendations.
Parliament Speaker claims that the final version of the draft will be for sure adopted by the legislative body next week.
