Parliament considers extending jury court to major Georgian cities

The ability for regional courts in Georgia to perform jury trials is being considered by the country’s lawmakers.

Parliament of Georgia is currently considering a bill to allow jurors to render verdicts in the city courts of western Batumi and Zugdidi and eastern Rustavi, Telavi and Gori.

The bill is being discussed in Parliament in an accelerated manner.

Until now jury trials only operate in Georgia’s two largest cities– capital Tbilisi and Kutaisi in the country’s mid-west.

The Georgian Government initiated an amendment to the Criminal Procedure Code of Georgia to extend this court service to Batumi, Zugdidi, Rustavi, Telavi and Gori.

Head of the legal department of the Government Administration Shalva Tadumadze today said this initiative was based on international practice where a jury panel operated not only in major cities but in regional centres too.

According to the Governmental initiative, changes will be made to the criteria of how a jury member is selected. Specifically, limitations will be removed for several professions including an investigator, policeman, jurist, psychologist and psychiatrist.

Parliament’s Committee on Human Rights Protection discussed the legislative amendments in today’s session.

Georgia introduced the option of jury trials in October 2010. A jury is convened to deliver a verdict in cases where a punishment is imprisonment.