Georgia’s Constitutional Court has a new judge

Georgia’s Supreme Court has today named a person who will serve as Constitutional Court judge for the next 10 years.

The new judge was Teimuraz Tugushi, current head of the Department of Research and Legal Provision of the Constitutional Court.

The Plenum of the Supreme Court, which consists of 15 members, convened earlier today to either approve or dismiss Tugushi’s candidacy after he was nominated by chairperson of the Supreme Court Nino Gvenetadze.

Today’s meeting was attended by 14 Plenum members and all of them voted in favour of Tugushi.

Tugushi will begin his role as Constitutional Court judge after he takes a special oath. This must happen no later than September 30.

September 30 is the date when the 10-year term of four current Constitutional Court judges will expire. Chairman of the Constitutional Court Giorgi Papuashvili is among those four judges.

• Georgia’s Constitutional Court consists of nine judges. Of these three are appointed by the President, three are elected by Parliament and three are appointed by the Supreme Court.
• Once nine judges are selected they must choose who will be Court Chairperson, two Vice Chairpersons and Secretary of the Constitutional Court.

On September 10 President Giorgi Margvelashvili appointed two Constitutional Court judges. The Supreme Court announced its first bid today. Parliament has not yet elected any judges to fill the Parliament’s quota.