Organization the “Young Barristers” address High Council of Justice of Georgia with recommendations and asks for a high level of responsibility in the competition process on vacant positions of judges. 

According to the co-founder and chief-executive of the “Young Barristers” Archil Kaikatsishvili, it is the first time when judges are chosen in frames of new regulations. Therefore, the election criteria must be clear and decisions between current judges, former judges, reserved judges and judges of High School of Justice must be made based on their experience, professional dignity and personal freedom of candidates. It is important that the choice of High Council of Justice of Georgia supports independence of justice and assures the society that new 36 judges who will be competing for 34 vacant positions will change the quality of court proceedings and will increase the independence level of court.

According to the “Young Barristers” 93 candidates have applied for the position, among them: 12 current judges, 56 former judges, 4 reserved judges and 21 judges from High School of Justice of Georgia. The organization believes that the High Council of Justice of Georgia will be guided with a high interest of society and take into consideration fairness of rendered decisions of judges.

The “Young Barristers” will pay attention to the following judges who rendered decisions on famous cases:

1. Zviad Esebua, who heard cases of political prisoners Vakhtang Maisaia, Gia Sulakvelidze and Zakaria Zurashvili. They have been released as a result of amnesty.
2. Koba Gotsiridze, who connected his own decisions to politics and first time in history of courts of Georgia, imposed 126 million GEL fine to Bidzina Ivanishvili and 17 Million GEL to Kakha Kaladze when both were political opponents.
3. Anjeli Khurodze, who rendered an unjustified decision for different civil and political views of Irakli Kveladze, who was dismissed due to cooperation of former heads of State Services Development agency and House of Justice of Tbilisi.
4. Ketevan Luashvili, whose decision has been called unjustified by one of the parties and protests “life in prison”,
5. Irma Peranidze, whose decision on the case of dismissal on political grounds has been canceled by the Supreme Court of Georgia.

According to the “Young Barristers”, the reserved judges must be prioritized, since the institute of reservation is diminished. It is important to evaluate competence of former judges and experience of judges of High School of Justice of Georgia.

For your information: According to legislative amendments of November 1^st 2013, High Council of Justice of Georgia included 15 members. 8 members are chosen by the self-government of judges of courts of Georgia, 5 members are appointed by the Parliament and one member is appointed by the President of Georgia. High Council of Justice of Georgia is governed by the head of Supreme Court of Georgia, who is a member of High Council of Justice of Georgia as well.