Justice Minister delivers speech to Human Rights Committee

Georgia’s Justice Minister Tea Tsulukiani has delivered a report to the Human Rights Committee at a meeting in Parliament today.

The Minister emphasized planned and implemented reforms in the field of human rights, which were initiated by the Ministry of Justice.

Tsulukiani summarized the Ministry’s 18 month work to develop human rights in Georgia.

"The right to a fair trial, the right to free and fair elections, the right of individuals to equality, labour rights, property rights, freedom of information and openness of the structure, the availability of public services and their quality – those were our main priorities,” Tsulukiani said.

The Minister underlined the importance of the work of the Juvenile Justice Code.

She emphasized the country’s reforms and progress it had made to create transparency in the Court in terms of fair justice. Progress made in the judicial system was de-politicization of the Justice Council, the Minister announced.

"We are developing the court, step by step, to get fair justice,” she said.

Furthermore, the Minister reviewed the work made by the anti-narcotics council and Interagency Council on trafficking.

Tsulukiani said the trafficking investigation had increased by 40 percent and there were planned legislative changes to increase the efficiency in the fight against human trafficking.

The Minister also mentioned the importance of rehabilitating and re-socializing prisoners. She noted the Justice Ministry was the first state agency which offered various services to help former prisoners became full-fledged members of society.

After her speech, the Minister answered the questions of Committee members.

Committee members from opposition parties asked the Minister when the Tbilisi House of Justice will open, after being closed four months ago because of storm damage to the building’s roof.

The Minister responded work at the Justice House would begin next week.

The meeting ended with a spat of verbal abuse between the Minister and minority Member of Parliament Chiora Taktakishvili, who criticized the Prosecutor’s Office then stormed out of the room.