“The decision of the Strasbourg Court has affirmed that the legislation governing the appointment of judges to the Supreme Court of Georgia is entirely consistent with the principles of democracy and international law,” stated Judge Dimitri Gvritishvili.

According to Gvritishvili, those opposing the legislation, foreign partners, various organisations, and other entities advocating for a moratorium and suspension of judge appointments based on recommendations from the Venice Commission, have been dismissed.

“Our opponents, including foreign partners, organisations, the NGO sector, and politicians, who disregarded the recommendations of the Venice Commission, demanded a halt and suspension of appointments, claiming the legislation was flawed, undemocratic, and non-compliant with international standards. Their argument is unfounded.

In the case before Strasbourg, the applicants contended that their right to a fair trial had been infringed because their cases were judged by judges appointed under legislation they deemed defective. The Strasbourg Court’s ruling addressed all these concerns. The Court did not even engage in a substantive review, dismissing the claim that the legislation was flawed as entirely baseless.

Furthermore, Strasbourg provided a comprehensive review, noting that since 2012, both the legislation and the organisational and legal framework of the court have been progressively refined and enhanced. This is a highly significant decision for us,” Gvritishvili explained.

For context: the Strasbourg Court declared the complaints regarding the independence and impartiality of Georgia’s Supreme Court judges inadmissible. According to Georgia’s Deputy Minister of Justice, Beka Dzamashvili, the ECHR ruling underscores the successful reforms in the country’s judicial system since 2012.