Head of Georgian Constitutional Court withdraws candidacy for Supreme Court
Head of the Georgian Constitutional Court Zaza Tavadze says that controversies around his Master’s degree is the reason for making the decision. Photo: 1TV.
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Head of the Georgian Constitutional Court Zaza Tavadze, who is on the 20-person list presented to parliament for a lifetime appointment as a judge on the Georgian Supreme Court, has withdrawn his candidacy, citing controversies related to his higher education.
Tavadze appealed to Parliament Speaker of Georgia Archil Talakvadze on Movement 22 to postpone the presentation of his candidacy before the parliament’s plenary meeting [for a hearing] as questions arose regarding his Master’s degree in law, which is mandatory for a Supreme Court judge.
In the letter Tavadze said that that he has an education degree equal to a Master’s degree, which was also acknowledged by the High Council of Justice, the independent body which selected candidates for the Supreme Court judge.
However, Tavadze said that he needed time to prove this “as the existence of any questions around my qualification is unacceptable for me.”
In the letter released today Tavadze said that his November 22 letter triggered additional controversies.
Turmoil around the candidates for the Georgian Supreme Court began at the end of 2018. Photo: Georgian Supreme Court press office.
The reputation of the court is of top importance for me. The existence of any question, even an unfounded question [around the qualification of a judge] must be removed, that is why I decided to remove my candidacy,” Tavadze said.
Public turmoil around the candidates for the Georgian Supreme Court began towards the end of 2018, even though a new law was adopted, with the cooperation of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe, regarding the selection and appointment procedures of the judges for the court.
Many local NGOs, the opposition and two members of the High Council of Justice, say that both lists [one at the end of 2018 and another earlier this year] of judges presented by the High Council of Justice include judges who handed down unfair verdicts under the United National Movement government.
They say that there is a “clan of biased judges” in the Georgian court which influenced the list in both cases.
Non-judge member of the High Council of Justice Anna Dolidze says that the “controversial list” is likely to be passed by parliament in the coming days “which is absolutely unacceptable.”
The opposition has announced a large rally on the day when parliament will schedule the voting on the judges.
This is the first time when High Council of Justice nominates candidates for the Supreme Court and sends the candidates to the Parliament of Georgia for voting but the ten judges nominated by the HCJ have triggered controversies and criticism in the public and civil sector. So the government considers new regulations regarding the judges selection.
The opposition and civil activists , who have been protesting for two weeks due to parliament’s rejection of the ruling party’s proposed election bill, have announced a 'large rally' at parliament when MPs will be scheduled to vote on a 20-person list of candidates for judge in the Georgian Supreme Court. The opposition, which strongly disapproves of the list, vows the rally will lead to the fulfilment of the demonstrators’ demands.
The High Council of Justice of Georgia, a body which is responsible for the selection and appointment of judges in the country, has presented a final, 20 person list, for judges to the Supreme Court, including Chief Prosecutor Shalva Tadumadze and his deputy Mamuka Vasadze.
Ten judges who have been nominated by the High Council of Justice for the Supreme Court of Georgia have triggered controversies and criticism in the public and civil sector, as several of the judges “are affiliated with the United National Movement government and biased judiciary”, several members of the HCJ and NGOs say.
The ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party says it will not vote for several of 20 candidates running for a seat as a Georgian Supreme Court judge, during the voting scheduled on December 12.
Twelve individuals including opposition leaders and members have been detained at parliament earlier today for ‘hooliganism and disobedience to the police’, during a rally opposing a 20-person list of judges nominated for seats on the Georgian Supreme Court. Opposition leaders and members Giorgi Vashadze, Giorgi Tevdoradze, Beso Gazdelian, Guram Chalagashvili, Zurab Kostava, David Kakauridze and Kakhaber Machitidze are among the detainees.
A break has been announced in parliament as an unclear substance has been spilled in the session hall with a “very unpleasant smell”as MPs say, causing a delay in a major vote today on the controversial list of judges for the Georgian Supreme Court. Emergency brigades and law enforcers are present at the scene, as several of the MPs feel ill.
The Georgian parliament has approved 14 of total 19 candidates for lifelong judges of the Georgian Supreme Court amid protests of the opposition and civic groups. Prosecutor General Shalva Tadumadze, his deputy Mamuka Vasadze and Secretary of Georgia’s High Council of Justice Giorgi Mikautadze are among those approved.
The report reads that the final plenary vote on the judicial appointments took place amidst a political crisis, a boycott by the opposition, and widespread calls for an adjournment.
The Constitutional Court of Georgia has a new chair, with Merab Turava replacing Zaza Tavadze whose term expired in June. Turava, 56, was the deputy chair of the Constitutional Court from January 2018.