6 candidates for Georgian Supreme Court judges nominated
The Georgian parliament approved 14 lifelong judges of the Supreme Court , but six seats still remain vacant. Photo: Mzia Saganelidze/Radio Liberty
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The High Council of Justice (HCoJ) has selected six candidates to fill the vacant seats of the lifelong judges at the Georgian Supreme Court.
The nominees are:
- Giorgi Tkavadze;
- Tea Dzamistarashvili;
- Ilona Todua:
- Paata Silagadze;
- Nino Sandodze;
- Genadi Makaridze.
All of them had interviews at the HCoJ earlier this year. However, none of them, apart from Paata Silagadze, had been further shortlisted for parliamentary hearings.
The Georgian parliament approved 14 lifelong judges of the Supreme Court amid protests of the opposition and civic groups on December 12.
As the six seats remain vacant now, the HCoJ had to select the candidates from the initial 50-member list.
The nominees will now be introduced to parliament and voted separately. If approved, each of them will have a chance to join the recently approved 14 lifetime judges.
Otherwise, the HCoJ will have to announce the competition from the very beginning.
The co-rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) for the monitoring of Georgia have expressed their “regret and disappointment” over the recent appointment of 14 Supreme Court judges.
The European Union has issued a statement on the recent lifetime appointment of 14 Supreme Court judges in Georgia. New EU Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Peter Stano released a statement yesterday.
The US Embassy said that the candidate selection process in the High Council of Justice “lacked transparency and resulted in a slate of nominees that did not fully represent the best qualified candidates”.
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 Georgian High Council of Justice has nominated Nino Kadagidze as a candidate for the head of Georgian Supreme Court, while the opposition expected former Chief Prosecutor Shalva Tadumadze in the role.