Georgia: EU regrets rushed changes to legislation on selection of Supreme Court judges

The European Union has welcomed the Georgian initiative to amend the legal framework of the selection process of Supreme Court judges, but is disappointed that the Georgian Parliament hastily designed and adopted these amendments without an inclusive consultation process, according to a statement, issued on 7 April by the European External Action Service (EEAS).

The amendments were adopted by the Georgian Parliament on 1 April.

“The European Union has repeatedly expressed concerns over the shortcomings in this selection process and the applicable rules,” says the statement. “We regret that Georgia had already previously amended this legislation in a rushed process without a timely request to or awaiting the final opinion of the Venice Commission.”

The European Union therefore strongly recommends Georgia to request as soon as possible a Venice Commission assessment on whether the adopted amendments comply with its previous recommendations. The new rules, once confirmed by the Venice Commission, need to be applied equally to all applicants.

“It is crucial that the Supreme Court, Georgia’s highest judicial instance, is composed of judges of utmost professional competence and integrity,” says the statement.

The European Union reminds that revising the selection process of Supreme Court judges in line with Venice Commission recommendations is also a condition for the disbursement of the second tranche of macro-financial assistance to Georgia under its current programme.

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