On path to select new Chief Prosecutor

A total of two candidates for the Chief Prosecutor of Georgia have been presented to the Ministry of justice; the incumbent Minister of Corrections and Deputy Prosecutor in Chief are the nominees.

“Consultations will last until November 13. I would like to call on universities, advocacy bureaus, lawyers association, NGOs and members of the public to provide me with candidates’ names that are desirable for them,” Minister of Justice Thea Tsulukiani said.

“Only two candidates have been presented at this time, namely Kakha Kakhishvili and Irakli Shotadze.

“They were nominated by academic circles and NGOs, but I would like many more candidates to be named. I would like to especially put an emphasis on a female candidate. The three-people list I need to make should comprise at least one member of the opposite-sex,” Tsulukiani added.

She said the three-member list would be published on the morning on November 14.

Through recent amendments in the legislation, the process of selecting the Chief Prosecutor has become complicated.

The recently-adopted bill outlined the creation of a 15-member Prosecutorial Council, chaired by the Minister of Justice and composed of prosecutors, MPs, civil and academic representatives, as well as the High Council of Justice judges.

After consultations with the civil sector, the Justice Minister would select three candidates and then present them to the Prosecutorial Council for approval. The Council must approve one candidate by voting; the successful nominee must gain two thirds of support. If this failed, the Justice Minister would then be required to name three other candidates.

However, if selected, the chosen candidate will still be required to go before the Government for approval. If the candidate is disliked, the process of selecting nominees will begin again. If endorsed, the candidate must then be approved by Parliament.

Parliament should confirm the candidate before the candidate is officially appointed to the role of Chief Prosecutor of Georgia.

With regards to the two nominees, Shotadze has always been the subject of criticism, especially from the opposition, who stated that he was influenced by the current state government.

Kakhishvili moved to politics from the civil sector and still enjoys a high level of respect among the public based on the positive reforms he carried out in the Ministry of Corrections.

There is even a page on Facebook supporting the appointment of Kakhishvili as Georgia’s Chief Prosecutor.

Herewith, Kakhishvili has always spoken about the systemic reform in the Chief Prosecutor office. During his time in the civil sector he was often heard to say that there were many employees in the office who he suspected had been involved with illegal activities under the previous state leadership.

Thus, the post of Chief Prosecutor Georgia requires a person who enjoys trust among population, has a detailed and practical knowledge of the legal code, and is capable of carrying out vital changes.

The Chief Prosecutor’s Office need serious changes as it has not always been free of controversy; one should not forget that the state is based on an impartial court system and fair prosecution.