Justice Minister: President’s initiative on pardon commission won’t reduce her power
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Friday, March 8
Justice Minister Thea Tsulukiani claims that the presidential power will not be reduced by transferring the President’s Pardon Commission under the control of the Justice Ministry.
Tsulukiani says that the president’s initiative requires several legislative amendments.
“We are studying the initiative. It certainly requires legislative amendments. Today, I do not have the answer whether these amendments are done by so-called Easter pardon, but we will continue to work with the president.
“The commission needs no writers and artists, but social workers, psychologists, teachers and others. Currently, we are discussing these issues,” said Tea Tsulukiani.
Zurabishvili stated during her annual speech on Wednesday that the pardon commission, which is now subordinated to the president, may move under the control of the Ministry of Justice, with more state agencies involved in the discussion of applications for pardon.
She said that the president will make a final decision on pardon.
Zurabishvili has stated many times that she did not like the way the commission worked under her predecessor Giorgi Margvelashvili.
The President’s Pardon Commission is composed of 11 individuals, mainly lawyers from the civil sector, public figures, Public Defender and a spiritual representative from Georgia’s Patriarchate.
The group must discuss all cases sent to the Pardon Commission by inmates or their families and decide which prisoners they believe deserve to be pardoned. The list then is sent to the president.
