Supreme Court chair elected as new head of High Council of Justice

Supreme Court chair Nino Kadagidze has been elected as the head of Georgia’s High Council of Justice, an independent body which is responsible for the selection and appointment of judges and other legal issues. 

Thirteen members of the High Council of Justice voted for Kadagidze, only a non-judge member of the council, Nazi Janezashvili, voted against. 

Janezashvili said that Kadagidze ‘has always been supported’ by a ‘clan of judges who run the Georgian court system behind the stage.’ 

She also stated that through electing Kadagidze the High Council of Justice has made a ‘step backwards.’ 

Before the recent constitutional changes the Supreme Court chair automatically took the chairmanship of the High Council of Justice. However, the standard was changed by parliament and the council is able to elect its chair among its members for a four-year-term,” Janezashvili said. 

Kadagidze was elected as the head of the Supreme Court earlier this year amid the opposition’s protest and controversies related to the selection process of Supreme Court judges.