The Strasbourg Court has declared inadmissible complaints regarding the independence and impartiality of judges of the Supreme Court of Georgia.

According to Deputy Minister of Justice Beka Dzamashvili, the Strasbourg Court’s rulings once again draw attention to the successful reforms implemented in Georgia’s justice system by the Georgian Government since 2012.

“The rulings concern three complaints in which the applicants contested that one of the Supreme Court judges hearing their cases was neither impartial nor independent. However, the European Court fully endorsed the evidence and arguments presented by the Ministry of Justice and declared all three complaints inadmissible.

The European Court drew attention to such matters as the life tenure of judges, the institutional and functional strengthening of the High Council of Justice, the refinement of procedures for judicial appointment and promotion, and the constitutional amendment which made the process for appointing Supreme Court judges more transparent and modern.

One of the complaints, ‘Pirtskhalava vs Georgia’, concerned a case well known to the public, the murder of Buta Robakidze. In this case, the applicant contested that the criminal proceedings against him were unjust, as he was not allowed to question witnesses. However, on this matter too, the European Court fully upheld the Ministry of Justice’s position and concluded that this claim was so ill-founded that it did not even merit substantive examination,” stated Deputy Minister of Justice Beka Dzamashvili.