“United States is very proud to be able to support Georgia’s judges in their efforts to improve the operation and the efficiency of their courtrooms and their ability to administer the law based on the evidence,” US Ambassador Kelly Degnan said remarking on the statement of Levan Murusidze, a member of High Council of Justice.

According to Kelly Degnan, many Georgian judges are interested in the US-funded study visits, exchange programs and training that “greatly contribute to the effort to modernize Georgia’s judicial system.”

“I’ve had the privilege of meeting with a lot of Georgia’s judges at all of the levels of courts over the last year or so in the time I’ve been here, including in the regions. I have heard from all of them about their exchanges with the United States, the study visits, and the trainings here. We bring American judges here for these judges to exchange best practices and lessons learned.

What I have heard from all of them is that they would be interested in more study visits, more training, more of these kinds of exchanges because it’s so valuable when judges come together and share what works well in their courtrooms, how they’ve dealt with different challenges, and it’s just a very rich exchange of views. So, our impression is that this training and these exchanges have been very well received, have contributed greatly to the effort to modernize Georgia’s judicial system.

That is what the United States has been doing for many years. Georgia has seen some important progress in improving efficiency in the operation of its judiciary. What is needed now is to continue that work. It’s clear from the 12 priorities that the EU has laid out. This is the same work that has been on Georgia’s agenda for some time, and the United States is very proud to be able to support Georgia’s judges in their efforts to improve the operation and the efficiency of their courtrooms and their ability to administer the law based on the evidence that is in front of them, and without interference,” she said.

Levan Murusidze told the GPB’s First Channel Day Topic program: “Judges go for a 5-day trip, visit buildings. It is good that they rest and see how magnificent the US is. But may they use their trips more effectively.”