Candidate 'unexpected' by opposition nominated for head of Georgian Supreme Court
If at least 76 MPs vote for Nino Kadagidze, she will be elected as the head of Georgian Supreme Court for 10 years. Photo: parliament of Georgia press office.
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The Georgian High Council of Justice has nominated Nino Kadagidze as a candidate for the head of the Georgian Supreme Court, while the opposition expected former Chief Prosecutor Shalva Tadumadze in the role.
Now it is up to the Georgian parliament to vote on the candidate.
Kadagidze must receive at least 76 votes in the 150-member parliament to occupy the post for ten years.
The former head of the Supreme Court Nino Gvenetadze resigned in August 2018 as she said due to health issues.
The Georgian parliament approved 14 of total 19 candidates for lifelong judges of the Georgian Supreme Court in December 2019 amid protests of the opposition and civic groups.
Former Chief Prosecutor Shalva Tadumadze, his deputy Mamuka Vasadze and Secretary of Georgia’s High Council of Justice Giorgi Mikautadze were among those approved, as well as Kadagidze.
One candidate, current head of the Georgian Constitutional Court Zaza Tavadze, withdrew his candidacy shortly before the voting in December.
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 High Council of Justice has selected six candidates to fill the vacant seats of the lifelong judges at the Georgian Supreme Court. Although the Georgian parliament approved 14 judges in mid-December, six seats still remain vacant now.
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 Georgian parliament has elected Nino Kadagidze as the new chair of the Georgian Supreme Court amid the protests of the United National Movement and the European Georgia opposition parties.
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.
The Lelo opposition party has submitted a bill requesting the state legislature declare a moratorium on the election of new judges for the country’s Supreme Court and new members in the High Council of Justice before the implementation of the EU-mediated agreement.