Prosecutor General highlights office’s commitment to “child-friendly justice”

Irakli Shotadze, the Prosecutor General of Georgia, on Wednesday highlighted his body’s commitment to ensuring “child-friendly justice” and the protection of “best interests” of minors in a report to the Prosecutorial Council. 

Briefing the Council about his body’s work during the first nine months of 2023, Shotadze outlined “key initiatives” aimed at enhancing the justice process for minors, the Office said. 

He said the primary objective was to safeguard the best interests of minors involved in legal proceedings and assured his office was “actively employing” alternative mechanisms of criminal prosecution, with a focus on improving the quality of procedures and criminal prosecutions against minors.

He noted in addition to considering public interest in implementation, his office aimed to assist “minors in conflict with law” in understanding their responsibility and facilitating their integration into society. “Topics of resocialisation and rehabilitation of minors receive special attention, and collaborative efforts with relevant agencies are ongoing”, Shotadze added. 

The official also shared statistics on juvenile justice, covering diversion and prosecution rates, detention-to-custody ratio and convictions. He also highlighted work undertaken in 2023, such as the report on results of facilitating juvenile justice based on analyses of the previous year.

Shotadze pointed out a study conducted this year on the characteristics of diverted minors, offering insights into circumstances from a criminological perspective that could contribute to understanding the causes of minors' criminal behaviour.

The official noted the Prosecutor's Office had participated in a meeting of the Justice Coordinating Council addressing juvenile justice issues and involving representatives from various legal entities, with the body’s Department of Strategic Development presenting information on identified challenges and proposed activities to address them.

In his report, Shotadze also highlighted his participation in an international conference organised by the Prosecutor's Office and the Ministry of Justice of Georgia with support from international organisations in Tbilisi in October, with the event dedicated to the role of restorative justice in criminal cases.

The Prosecutor General said his office presented reports on successful experiences with diversion and diversion mediation over the past 13 years at the conference, emphasising practical challenges overcome by the domestic justice system.

He concluded by expressing his office’s support for the wider implementation of restorative justice aligned with international standards in criminal proceedings.