Public Defender warns legislative amendments may contradict international standards and Constitution of Georgia

The Public Defender of Georgia will review the finalised legislative amendments approved by Parliament and, if necessary, will initiate proceedings before the Constitutional Court of Georgia, the Office of the Public Defender has announced.

According to the Public Defender, the proposed amendments may infringe upon both international standards for the protection of freedom of expression and the Constitution of Georgia.

“The Public Defender of Georgia is monitoring the ongoing legislative process in Parliament, during which amendments are being considered to seven laws, including the Law of Georgia on Grants, the Criminal Code of Georgia, the Administrative Offences Code of Georgia and the Organic Law of Georgia on Political Unions of Citizens.

As it became known to the public today during the committee discussion, after the first hearing, certain changes were made to the legislative package and the list of punishable actions was further expanded. In particular, according to reports, “extremism against the constitutional order of Georgia” is declared a criminally punishable act.

In the opinion of the Public Defender, the proposed legislative amendments may conflict with both international standards for the protection of freedom of expression and the Constitution of Georgia and create the possibility of an overly broad interpretation of the imposed restrictions.

Therefore, the Public Defender will conduct a thorough assessment of the finalised amendments and, should the necessary conditions be met, will proceed to lodge a case with the Constitutional Court of Georgia,” the statement concludes.