Tbilisi Hosts International Legal Conference

TBILISI - Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili earlier this week opened an international conference focusing on the independence, competence and ethics of the legal profession in Georgia.

"When we discuss the future of our country, I'm talking about the future of a country where lawyers with their high intellectual and moral standards are creators and guarantors of democratic governance. It is impossible for a state to create a rule-of-law society if everyone's rights are not protected, "Margvelashvili said at the opening of the conference on Tuesday.

More than 30 members of Georgia's Bar Association and foreign legal representatives discussed common challenges and practices that attorneys face both domestically and abroad.

The participants discussed possible ways to tackle ongoing problems and ways to improve the quality of the legal profession.

"This is the critical component when defending universal human rights. Justice is a cornerstone of statehood and lawyers are the cornerstone of a nation's justice, "- Shombi Sharp, the United Nations Development Programme's (UNDP) Resident Representative in Georgia said.

The conference was organized by the Georgian Bar Association, with assistance from the Council of Europe, EU, UNDP, in cooperation with the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe and Tbilisi State University.

By Meri Taliashvili