Georgian Chief Prosecutor says he is ready to be a new head of Supreme Court
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Thursday, July 25
Georgian Chief Prosecutor Shalva Tadumadze, who has plans to become a judge of the Supreme Court of Georgia, says he might become a new head of the Court. Meanwhile, NGOs say that he might be politically biased in the Court.
Tadumadze, who was elected as Chief Prosecutor of Georgia in the summer of last year, said he has “always dreamed of being a judge.” However, he added that it would be problematic for him to do so under the United National Movement leadership [when the government suppressed judges].
“Now, I have the opportunity, and I am using it. If I am supported by the High Council of Justice {the body responsible for the selection of judges in Georgia] and then by parliament, I am ready to be the head of the Court,” Tadumadze says.
Members of the High Council of Justice, who are selecting judges for the Supreme Court, asked Tadumadze questions on Tuesday.
A non-judge member of the council Nazi Janezashvili said that she intended to learn [during the interview] whether Tadumadze managed to be an impartial Supreme Court Judge or not.
Several incidents took place between Janezashvili and Tadumadze, with Tadumadze telling her, “I am a better lawyer than you.”
NGOs have a suspicion that the High Council of Justice, ‘which is likely to be run by the judges who used to make biased verdicts,’ will not nominate worthy candidates for the Supreme Court.
The issue of Supreme Court judges has been one of the hottest ones over the last several months, as the initial list of the judges presented by the High Council of Justice at the end of last year was strongly criticized by many, among the members of the Georgian Dream ruling party.
Critics said that the list included biased judges.
The turmoil led to the adoption of changes regarding the selection procedures of the Supreme Court judges, the amendments which were offered by the ruling party MPs.
However, the civil sector believes that the new law also leaves room for biased judges to stay in the court system until retirement.
The High Council of Justice should present the candidates for the Supreme Court judges, and the parliament should vote or not for the list.
Tadumadze had served as the government’s parliamentary secretary since 2012 after the Georgian Dream ruling party defeated the United National Movement.
He replaced Irakli Shotadze in the role of Chief Prosecutor on May 31, 2018, as the latter resigned.
Tadumadze is the second chief prosecutor elected by parliament and not appointed to the post.
The former head of the Supreme Court Nino Gvenetadze resigned last year, as she said due to health issues.
However, several judges stated that she was unable to resist the “clan of biased judges.”
