Gov’t exerting pressure on judges through opposing parliamentary investigations on judiciary – Georgian Court Watch NGO

The Georgian Court Watch NGO created by a former member of the country’s High Council of Justice Nazi Janezashvili, on Wednesday said the ruling Georgian Dream party’s refusal to register for the vote for setting up a parliamentary commission of inquiry on judiciary, served the goal to “exert pressure” on judges. 

 

Janezashvili, who had been critical to the body she had served and spoke about the presence of a clan of judges biased to the authorities, claimed the authorities were trying to preserve the “clan” in the court, even following the US sanctions on three acting and one former Georgian judges on April 5 for “significant corruption”. 

 

The parliamentary opposition last week proposed the initiative on the creation of the commission to look into alleged corruption and violations in the country’s judiciary. However, “in an act of solidarity” with judges, the GD MPs on Tuesday and Wednesday refused to register for the plenary session and the issue of setting up the commission has not been voted on so far due to the lack of quorum. 

 

At least 76 MPs in the 150-member parliament should be present for the vote, while 51 MPs, mostly the opposition lawmakers, had undergone the registration. The creation of the commission needs the vote of at least 50 MPs, with the opposition saying to have them. 

 

“The act of political solidarity of the parliamentary majority is an attempt to exert political pressure on judges. This move shows how important it is for the ruling political force to support and maintain the current clan rule in the judicial system. At the same time, this step once again confirms the members of the parliamentary majority are not interested in improvements in the court system”,said Janezashvili’s NGO. 

 

The NGO also highlighted the importance of the judiciary reform for the country’s European integration.