Changes in jury system initiated
By Tatia Megeneishvili
Wednesday, January 7
Based on planned amendments in the jury system in the courts, jurors might not handle the cases of former officials. The changes are being initiated by the Georgian Dream coalition.
The jury institute has been used with regard to former officials since 2013 through the initiative of the Georgian Dream government.
Deputy Minister of Justice Aleksandre Baramidze stated that removing the articles related to former officials did not mean rejecting the whole jury system.
He stressed that there were various procedural obstacles as well as problems concerning the selection of jurors for former official cases.
United National Movement (UNM) representatives have accused the government of changing priorities and in distrusting people.
“In 2013 the government did not trust the court, but they believed in the people, now they control the court system and do not trust the people, because they know that the public attitude has changed negatively towards them,” stated the MP Bokeria.
The head of parliament’s Human Rights Commission Eka Beselia responded to the UNM and said that all accused officials denied the jury.
“I think that this is an answer to all their arguments regarding the system. This system has many drawbacks,” stated Beselia.
Head of the Georgian Young Lawyers' Association Ana Natsvlishvili said that the government should detect and analyze the problems in terms of the jury institute.
“This is a very successful system overall. If the initiators think that there are any kinds of shortcomings regarding the system, they need to study the vices,” she said.
