Georgia’s judicial system has become 'king’s court', legal expert

Georgian lawyer Nika Simonishvili on Friday accused the country’s judicial system of transforming into a "king’s court," undermining democratic principles instead of upholding them. Simonishvili, a legal expert, warned that the judiciary, meant to ensure accountability, had instead become a tool of unchecked power.

"The judicial system, which should be one of the pillars of democratic principles in a democratic state, has become one of the main institutions destroying these principles," Simonishvili claimed. He emphasized that the judiciary, instead of ensuring accountability within the executive and legislative branches, had become an instrument of unchecked power.

He further noted that justice in Georgia was being administered "in the name of one person," contradicting the fundamental principle that it should serve the people and the rule of law. "In reality, what is happening in the judicial system has nothing to do with the rule of law," he added.

The comments come amid ongoing concerns from human rights organizations and opposition groups about the state of Georgia’s judiciary, which they claim is influenced by political interests. The government, however, has consistently denied these allegations, insisting that the judiciary operated independently.