Georgian parliament passes anti-discrimination law with first hearing
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On April 17 Parliament of Georgia passed a Bill on the elimination of all forms of discrimination and related sub-bills with 110 votes in favor and none against.
The draft law envisaged changes in some already acting laws and provided the following definition of discrimination:
"The Bill does not create any new legal material rights, instead it is aimed at ensuring the enjoyment of equal rights. The Bill prohibits any signs of discrimination including with the reason of age, health condition, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, profession.The Bill bans discrimination in both, private and public sectors,” the draft said.
The explanatory note of the Bill said the reason of its adoption was because of inefficiencies in existing anti-discrimination legislation.
"Majority of norms prohibiting discrimination with few exceptions has only declarative nature and their violation do not envisage the appropriate consequences”, the note says.
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.
The report stated: "On the basis of this year’s report and with a view to sustain implementation of the ENP Action Plan in 2014, Georgia is invited to adopt comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation; ensure that the rights of people belonging to minorities, including religious minorities, are respected. Condemn instances of hate speech, attacks and violence against persons belonging to minorities; send clear messages of zero tolerance towards such behaviour."
The anti-discrimination Bill has been accessed by the non-governmental sector as "ineffective", as they believed the new law did not say anything about the creation of a special inspector’s institute, which could impose fines on citizens.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has proposed to define the ‘family’ as the "union of man and woman” in the Georgian Constitution.
The positive words were noted in an annual EU report that assessed progress in its neighborhood countries in 2013.
NGOs have called on the Georgian Government to make the anti-discrimination draft law more effective by creating mechanisms to fine those who commit discrimination.
Hampering the adaptation of the anti-discrimination law will lead to the postponement of the visa liberalization process, said the European Union (EU) representative in Georgia today.
Georgia’s anti-discrimination draft law is remaining in the spotlight as Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili says the new law will not legalise "any illegal activity".
Parliament Speaker Davit Usupashvili is appealing to the Georgian society not to yield certain groups of speculation regarding the heavily discussed anti-discrimination law.
The anti-discrimination draft law has been discussed at the meeting betweem members of the Parliamentary majority and representatives of the Georgian Orthodox Church today in a bid to clarify misunderstandings surrounding the Bill.
Parliament of Georgia has passed a bill to eliminate all forms of discrimination with 112 votes in favor and none against.
Parliament has adopted the Anti-Discrimination Bill with 104 votes to one with its third and final hearing today, May 2.
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.
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.
Hundreds of Georgians are marching in Tbilisi today, marking family purity day backed by the Georgian orthodox church, first celebrated in 2014.