Zurabishvili: Raising Trust in Judicial System Remains Priority for Georgia

"The independence and high professionalism of judges and raising the level of trust in the judicial system still remains a priority for the country," President Salome Zurabishvili said in her annual report to Georgian Parliament.

“I would like to address here the issue of the judicial reform process. This reform has undergone four extremely important stages in recent years. Despite certain criticisms, some legitimate and some politically motivated, the progress has been unquestionable.

"It is noteworthy that the statistics of the cases referred to the European Court of Human Rights have notably decreased which is one of, if not the only, objective measurements of public confidence in the judiciary.

"It is also beyond doubt that our judicial system is not yet comparable to that of a centuries-old and sophisticated judicial system in Europe.

"It may not be surprising, then, to remember where we came from and how much pressure the Soviet regime had. Therefore, the independence of judges and increasing public confidence in the judiciary remains a top priority for the country. Rapid and complete implementation of the reform of the High School of Justice in this regard shows the path for the future,” she said.

By Ana Dumbadze 

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