PM features in inauguration of Georgian Bar Association’s new office

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Friday featured in the inauguration of Lawyers' House - the new office of the Georgian Bar Association, telling members their organisation played an “important role” in protecting human rights, strengthening the rule of law, and ensuring independent, high-quality and ethical judiciary in the country.

He told the legal professionals they continued “traditions of independent advocacy, the foundations of which were laid more than a hundred years ago, during the First Republic”.

“With the daily work of lawyers, you make an invaluable contribution to the strengthening of democracy and legal stability in Georgia. For this, I would like to thank you once again on behalf of the Government”, Garibashvili told members of the Association.

The Government head stressed the opening of Lawyers' House was an “important event in many ways”.

“First of all, the infrastructural development of the Association, I believe, will contribute to the smooth implementation of your activities at a high level. [...] We are also happy that with the new headquarters building - the design of which has already won one of the most prestigious [design] awards in the world - another important architectural building has been added to our [capital] city”, he continued.

Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili, General Prosecutor Irakli Shotadze, President of the European Association of Lawyers Maria Slazaki and Vice-President of the International Bar Association Claudio Visco also addressed the participants of the event.

The foundation for the construction of the new office in Tbilisi was laid in January 2021, with the concept revealed among winners in the Global Architecture & Design Awards the same year.