Georgia

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Georgia is a sovereign state in the South Caucasus region. Its form of government is that of a presidential republic. Georgia gained independence from the Soviet Union on 9 April 1991. Its current Constitution was adopted on 17 October 1995.

Territorially, Georgia is divided into 9 regions, 9 cities and 2 autonomous republics. The territorial state structure of Georgia is determined by the Constitutional Law. In accordance with Article 3 of the Constitution, the central government has exclusive competence in a number of areas, including the following: (a) legislation on Georgian citizenship, human rights and freedoms, migration, status of aliens; (b) the status, boundary regime and defense of the state frontiers; (c) state defense and national security; (d) the issues of war and peace, the determination of a legal regime of the state of emergency and the martial law and their introduction; (e) foreign policy and international relations; (f) foreign trade, customs and tariff regimes; (g) state finances and state loan; issuing money; legislation on banking, credit, insurance and taxes; (h) unified energy system and communications; (i) criminal, civil, administrative and labor legislation; (k)criminal police and investigation; and a number of others.

Executive branch. The Chief of State of Georgia is the President, who is elected by popular vote for a five-year term. The President is also head of government for the power ministries, i.e. state security (includes interior) and defense. The Prime Minister is head of government for the remaining government ministries.

Legislative branch. The legislative branch is represented by the unicameral Parliament or Umaghiesi Sabcho (235 seats - 150 elected by party lists). Its members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms. Article 48 of the Constitution provides that "[t]he Parliament of Georgia shall be the supreme representative body of the country, which shall exercise legislative power, determine the principle directions of domestic and foreign policy, exercise control over the activity of the Government within the framework determined by the Constitution and discharge other powers."

Article 60 of the Constitution stipulates the public nature of the parliamentary sessions, meanwhile allowing to declare a particular session or a part thereof closed by a decision of the majority of MPs. The Constitution also provides that "the minutes of the Parliament, except for secret matters, shall be published in the official gazette of the Parliament."

Judicial branch. The judicial branch is represented by the Supreme Court (judges elected by the Supreme Council on the president's recommendation); Constitutional Court; first and second instance courts. The establishment of emergency or special courts in expressly prohibited by the Constitution (Art. 83). Courts martial are permitted at war and exclusively within the system of the courts of general jurisdiction.

A petition to the Constitutional Court on the constitutionality of the an act can be lodged by a citizen, if the act violates human rights as proclaimed by Chapter 2 of the Constitution. The Constitutional Court is entitled to decide on the constitutionality of laws, presidential decrees, acts of the supreme bodies of the autonomous entities, the creation and the activity of political parties, and elections and referenda.

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Opinions

2024-06-11

The amendments to the Election Code and to the Law on Political Unions of Citizens of Georgia published on 21 May 2024, remove the gender quotas applicable to party lists for parliamentary and municipal elections, as well as the financial incentive to encourage political parties to nominate more women than the legal minimum. Without introducing alternative forms of temporary special measures or other recognized mechanisms to accelerate women’s political representation in Georgia, this represents a setback for the advancement of gender equality in Georgia, not in line with international human rights standards and OSCE 
commitments which mandate the elimination of discrimination against women in political and public life.

2024-05-30

The main purpose of this Urgent Opinion is to analyze the Law “On Transparency of Foreign Influence” of Georgia, adopted on 28 May 2024, after overriding the veto of the President of Georgia, is to provide an overview of the key human rights concerns and lack of compliance with international human rights standards and OSCE human dimension commitments, primarily the rights to freedom of association and freedom of expression, but also other rights, including to respect for private life, participate in public affairs, and freedom from discrimination. The opinion also highlights similarities and differences to legislation in other countries that has been associated with the legislation at hand. The Urgent Opinion concludes that the Law “On the Transparency of Foreign Influence” contains serious deficiencies that renders it incompatible with international human rights standards and OSCE human dimension commitments and should be rescinded.

2023-06-16

მოსაზრება აღწერს საერთაშორისო და რეგიონულ ავტორიტეტულ რეკომენდაციებს, სასამართლო პრაქტიკას, აგრეთვე ეუთოს რეგიონის პრაქტიკას, რომელიც სასარგებლო სახელმძღვანელოს და მაგალითებს გვთავაზობს სასამართლო ხელისუფლების ფუნქციონირებასთან დაკავშირებულ სხვადასხვა საკითხებზე, მათ შორის: იუსტიციის საბჭოებში გადაწყვეტილების მიღების ისეთ მეთოდებზე, რომ თავიდან იქნეს აცილებული კორპორატივიზმის რისკი, ხმის მიცემის მეთოდისა და ზღვრების ადაპტაციის შესაძლებლობის აღნიშვნით, რათა უზრუნველყოს მოსამართლე და არამოსამართლე წევრების კონსენსუსი მართლმსაჯულების განხორციელების ფუნდამენტურ საკითხებზე, მოსამართლეების დანიშვნასა და გათავისუფლებასთან დაკავშირებულ საკითხებზე, განსაკუთრებით მაღალ თანამდებობებზე სასამართლო სისტემაში და სხვა საკითხებზე, რომლებიც საკვანძოა სასამართლოს დამოუკიდებლობის გარანტიისთვის; ზოგად წესებზე ცალკეული მოსამართლეებისთვის საქმეების განაწილებისა და სასამართლო კოლეგიის შემადგენლობის შესახებ, გამონაკლისების ჩათვლით, გარე ან შიდა არასათანადო გავლენის თავიდან ასაცილებლად; სასამართლოს თავმჯდომარის შერჩევის, დანიშვნის ან არჩევის პროცედურებზე როგორც აღმასრულებელი და საკანონმდებლო ხელისუფლებისგან, ასევე სასამართლოსგან დამოუკიდებლობის უზრუნველსაყოფად; ადმინისტრაციული ან მენეჯერული თანამდებობების მქონე მოსამართლეთა სტატუსზე და პრივილეგიებზე, რამაც მათ უნდა მისცეს საშუალება შეასრულონ თავიანთი ფუნქციები მაქსიმალურად პროფესიონალურად, მონდომებულად, ეფექტურად და დროულად, ამასთან, შეინარჩუნონ კავშირი სასამართლო პრაქტიკასთან; მოსამართლეთა ქონებრივი დეკლარაციების გადამოწმების სისტემაზე; და მოსამართლეთა წინააღმდეგ დისციპლინური საქმის აღძვრაზე პასუხისმგებელი ორგანოების დამოუკიდებლობის უზრუნველყოფის გარანტიებზე.

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