The Coalition for an Independent and Transparent Judiciary, consisting of some 40 CSOs active in the field of the judiciary and the rule of law denounced the ongoing process of selecting non-judge members of the High Council of Justice, a body overseeing the judicial system.
The coalition said the selection process was designed as a formality, despite taking place in parliament.
“A democracy based on the rule of law does not imply only a formal concept of publicity and transparency, where adherence to procedures is sufficient. It should be based on objective, meaningful discussion and exchange of opinions between the majority and the opposition, a broad consensus in accordance with public interests,” the Coalition said.
The statement also discussed the nature of the GD members’ questions during the hearings, asking the candidates about their political views and their social media posts.
The High Council of Justice has often been criticized for being a key channel of exercising political control over the judiciary through the so-called clan of judges directly linked with Bidzina Ivanishvili.
The coalition also focused on the limited participation of the opposition parties in the process saying that “it is not clear why the representatives of the opposition did not use this opportunity. By actively participating in this process, it was possible, on the one hand, to ask critical questions to the candidates and evaluate their views/qualifications, and on the other hand, to objectively discuss the problems in the judicial system.”
Despite serious flaws, the Coalition believes the parliament still has a chance to turn the situation around “by multi-party consensus and in accordance with public interests.”
Earlier last week, Ivanishvili-linked group of self-styled MPs calling themselves People’s Power attacked USAID-funded rule of law programme that has supported judicial independence, institutional development and the rule of law reforms in Georgia for years.
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