Screening of the Documentary Film "Judges Under Pressure"

In 2023, on May 18, a group of independent lawyers, Democracy Index - Georgia, and the Georgian Court Watch organized a screening of the Polish documentary "Judges Under Pressure".

The film deals with restrictions on the independence of judges in Poland and their resistance. "Judges Under Pressure" tells about those judges who, despite pressure, adhere to the Constitution and the principle of separation of powers. It depicts Judge Igor Tulia's relentless struggle for judicial independence despite the pressure exerted on him. At the same time, the solidarity shown to Igor Tulia not only by his colleagues but also by Polish citizens is impressive.

Irakli Kordzakhia, representative of the Independent Lawyers Group, Eka Tsimakuridze, chairman of the board of Democracy Index - Georgia, and Nazi Janezashvili, director of the Georgian Court Watch opened the event.

The event was attended by seventy participants, including judges of the Supreme Court of Georgia and the courts of first and second instances, lawyers, civil society representatives, and other interested persons.

After the screening, a discussion was held about the legal steps taken by Polish judges to maintain independence and the importance of public activity. The discussion was led by Ketevan Meskhishvili, Judge of the Tbilisi Court of Appeals, Tamar Khazhomia, Judge of the Tbilisi City Court, Polish judges Igor Tulia and Ioana Hetnarowicz-Sikora. The discussion was moderated by Sopho Verdzeuli, editor of the legal policy direction of the platform "Komentari".

The event was supported by the USAID rule of Law Program.