Anti-discrimination law adopted unanimously with final hearing
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Parliament has adopted the Anti-Discrimination Bill with 115 votes in favour and zero against with its third and final hearing today, May 2.
The President, who already declared his support to this legislation, is set to sign the law within the next ten days and only after this happens, the new law will come into force.
The Anti-Discrimination Bill was finally approved despite opposition from the Georgian Orthodox Church. Many rallies were held in Tbilisi and Kutaisi asking Members of Parliament (MPs) to review the proposed law and refrain from adopting the legislation.
Meanwhile several non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and members of civil society urged Parliament to adopt a more strict versoin of the law with clear mechanisims on how to better protect the rights of minority groups.
The new law prohibited any form of discrimination and aimed to eliminate all forms of discrimination and enforce equality for all, no matter of race, colour, language, sex, nationality, origin, birth, place of residence, property or social status, religion or belief, national, ethnic or social origin, profession, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, political or other opinion.
Georgia was strongly encouraged by the EU to adopt the anti-discrimination law.
The European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) Country Progress Report 2013 for Georgia, published at the end of March, included a major recommendation that Georgia immediately adopt an anti-discrimination law in what would become a prerequisite for finalizing the Visa Liberalization Action Plan.
Parliament of Georgia has passed a bill to eliminate all forms of discrimination with 112 votes in favor and none against.
On April 17 Parliament of Georgia passed a Bill on the elimination of all forms of the discrimination and related sub-bills with 110 votes in favor and none against.
The President of Georgia Giorgi Margvelashvili has made his first comments about the anti-discrimination draft law currently being debated in Parliament.
Parliament Speaker Davit Usupashvili is appealing to the Georgian society not to yield certain groups of speculation regarding the heavily discussed anti-discrimination law.
Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili believes the anti-discrimination Bill, which is being strongly criticized by the Georgian Orthodox Church, will definitely be adopted. He explained the core essence of the law and said it would not encourage or allow any illegal activity.
Head of the Georgian Parliament has spoken out about the anti-discrimination draft law currently being debated in Parliament.
The President of Georgia Giorgi Margvelashvili signed the Anti-Discrimination law today.
The "Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination" legislation went into force after it has been published on the state online registry Legislative Herald of Georgia on May 7.
Two events are taking place in Georgia today: the Orthodox Church has launched a new day of "Family Strength and Respect for Parents" while today is also International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO).
At the same time, the group protested the recently adopted Anti-Discrimination law claiming it was a "gay propaganda law”.
Georgia has scored highest in the Caucasus region and 22nd in Europe in the latest review of how lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people experience human rights across the continent by campaign group ILGA-Europe.
The police have arrested one man for a hate crime related to the sexual orientation of two individuals.
The Constitutional Court of Georgia will review a claim by a group of religious organisations on a tax exemption case of the Georgian Orthodox Church representing discrimination against an article of the country's constitution.
Reforms for ensuring an effective anti-discrimination policy in Georgia were in focus of a meeting between Georgia’s deputy interior minister Aleksandre Darakhvelidze and representatives of the OSCE chairperson-in-office on combatting racism, xenophobia and discrimination on Wednesday.