Five Georgian NGOs have released a joint statement regarding the judge integrity verification procedure. According to the NGOs, the government “hinders the European integration process by refusing to verify the integrity of judicial clan members.”
The European Commission’s expansion report, which discusses granting Georgia candidate status, mentions the verification of incorruptibility of individuals within the judiciary system (known as the “verification system”).
The verification system is a model within which judges’ integrity and professionalism are checked, and the commission must consist of both foreign and Georgian experts. This is also a requirement of the Venice Commission.
The ruling party “Georgian Dream” claims that foreign partners’ participation in this process threatens the country’s sovereignty. According to the Georgian government, the “verification system” is an opposition initiative aimed at “undermining Georgia’s sovereignty.”
The NGOs’ statement references the European Commission’s report from November 8, 2023, which states that to ensure independent and impartial justice in Georgia, the government must create a temporary mechanism for verifying the integrity of judges.
“The verification should cover members of the High Council of Justice, Supreme Court judges, court chairpersons, and candidates for these positions,” the statement reads.
The NGOs observe that, apparently, the authorities find this unacceptable and therefore refuse to create the relevant mechanism. Additionally, the NGOs point out it is particularly revealing that the judges, who are most questioned by the public regarding their integrity, have aligned with the government’s rhetoric and have voiced opposition to the verification concept.
The statement emphasizes that the comprehensive verification process fully complies with international standards. Furthermore, as the NGOs claim, the process of selecting judges for Georgia’s Supreme Court, which was “flawed,” has already been criticized by local and international organizations:
“Negative evaluations were also voiced by the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), which directly monitored the process. Thanks to the live broadcast of the judge candidate interviews, the general public is well aware of the deficiencies in this process.”
The NGOs believe that the government should timely acknowledge the problems in the judiciary system and start taking steps recommended by the European Commission.
The statement was signed by the following organizations:
