The US Embassy on the New Supreme Court Judges

On December 12, the US Embassy published a statement regarding the new Supreme Court judges that were approved by the Parliament of Georgia yesterday.

“Over recent months, the US Embassy has closely watched the process of selection of Georgia’s Supreme Court justices for lifetime appointments. In May we expressed disappointment at Parliament’s adoption of selection procedures that failed to incorporate many of the recommendations of the Venice Commission, OSCE/ODIHR, and the US, EU, and Council of Europe missions in Tbilisi. We share the assessment of international observers and Georgian experts that the subsequent candidate selection process in the High Council of Justice lacked transparency and resulted in a slate of nominees that did not fully represent the best-qualified candidates,” writes the US Embassy.   

The Embassy of the United States in Georgia reveals their disappointment in some of the appointees.

“The hearings for the nominees in the Parliament’s Legal Committee were open and transparent. During the hearings, a number of candidates were unable to demonstrate sufficiently their legal expertise or a commitment to impartiality. We regret the list of candidates approved in Parliament today includes such nominees. 
Judicial independence ensures the rule of law, safeguards democracy, and is a cornerstone of economic growth. In order to instill greater confidence in Georgia’s judicial system, we encourage Parliament and the relevant authorities to address the identified shortcomings in the Supreme Court judge selection process before the selection of additional candidates,” reads the statement. 

The U.S. Embassy urges all parties to be respectful.
“Additionally, in view of the disorder witnessed in Parliament surrounding today’s vote, we call on all parties to maintain calm and to engage one another in a respectful and constructive manner,” writes the Embassy in their statement published on Thursday.

By Nini Dakhundaridze