Association in the Judiciary

In the system of general courts of Georgia, several associations have been created by both judges and court officials. In the article, we briefly review their activities based on publicly available information.

Association of Judges of Georgia

The Association of Judges is a professional association of judges. It was established by a certain group of judges on July 9, 1999, and today almost all judges of Georgia are its members.

Currently, the chairman of the Association of Judges of Georgia is Levan Murusidze. This organization remembered us with its 2015 statement, which states that the Association of Judges trusts the competition announced by the Supreme Council of Justice, supports Mr. Murusidze's candidacy, and disassociates from his discrediting campaign.

The Association of Judges does not have an official website, where it would be possible to get information about the Association's activities, announcements, and other issues related to them.

Georgian court watch will devote a separate article to this association.

Association Georgian Judges Union

Georgian Court Watch sought information that 2 years earlier, on December 25, 1997, the association "Union of Judges of Georgia" was founded. It should be noted that in the same year, on June 13, 1997, the Organic Law "On Common Courts" was adopted.

According to the data of the public register, the founders of the "Union of Judges of Georgia" are:

• Nugzar Birkaya - Chairman of Gldani District Court;
• Avtandil Kalmakhelidze - Chairman of Tbilisi City Court;
• Davit Erkvania - Chairman of Mtskheti District Court;
• Naira Khabuliani - Krtsanis district court judge;
• Gigla Vekua - Chairman of Mtatsminda District Court;
• Ioseb Khurtsidze - Chairman of Didubi District Court;
• Giorgi Thitberidze - judge of Tbilisi City Court;
• Londa Chanturia - Gldani district court judge;
• Teimuraz Javakhia - Judge of the Didubi District Court;
• Violeta Gagua - judge of the Vake district court;
• President - Nugzar Birkaia.

According to the second article of the association's charter, the purpose of the association's activity:

• Protection of intellectual, social, and material interests of judges of Georgia, strengthening of the prestige of judges and judiciary in the country;
• Studying the practices of other countries and subsequently analyzing them;
• Participation in the legislative process using the norms and practices of international law;
• Research and preservation of the judicial history of Georgia;
• Protection of the interests of the law and the rights of the members of the association;
• Material, moral, legal, and other assistance to retired, disabled judges, as well as family members of deceased judges;
• Consideration of normative acts prepared by the bodies of the legislative and executive authorities of Georgia;
• Cooperation with other countries and international associations of judges, organization of international conferences and other types of work meetings;
• Association member meetings, one-on-one exchange of ideas, and other business meetings;
• Publication of legal literature in accordance with the law.

Immediately after its foundation, in December 1997, the association was officially allocated space in the building of the Gldani district court.

Unity of Georgian Judges

In addition to the Association of Georgian Judges, on June 4, 2013, the Association - Unity of Georgian Judges was registered. At first, the chairman of the association was Natia Gujabidze, a judge of the Tbilisi Court of Appeal, and later, Maia Bakradze, a former judge of the Tbilisi Court of Appeal. It is easy to find statements about the unity of judges of Georgia on the Internet. The association is associated with rather harsh evaluations of the Supreme Council of Justice in connection with the competition held for the selection of judges. The association has an official Facebook page on which information about the activities related to the association is posted as of October 2017.

Association of Women Judges of Georgia

It was founded on July 15, 2019, by female judges of the general courts of Georgia. Joining it is voluntary and can be done by female judges.

The main objectives of the association's activities are:

• Activation of gender sensitivity issues and the role of women judges in the judicial system;
• Support of the court system, and judicial activity;
• Protection of independence and impartiality of judges;
• Increasing public confidence in the judiciary and judges.

The Tbilisi City Court issued a statement regarding the foundation of the mentioned association, in which it is mentioned that the Association of Women Judges operates in 52 countries of the world and they are united in the Association of Women Judges of the World.

The Association of Women Judges of the World IAWJ was founded in 1991. It unites judges from all over the world, creating a powerful network whose ideals are equal justice and the rule of law. The International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ) aims to promote and empower women judges, eliminate gender-biased and discriminatory laws, develop gender-responsive courts, and combat gender-based violence. The activities of the Association of Women Judges of the World include presenting expert opinions in the field of law reform, supervision of penal institutions, and raising public education.

As a rule, we should expect that the Association of Women Judges of Georgia will also work on these issues, since the latter was founded in Georgia for the same purpose and reasons, however, so far, it does not leave such an impression.

On August 2, 2019, the general meeting of the "Association of Women Judges of Georgia" was held in the Tbilisi City Court. Judge Miranda Eremadze of the Tbilisi Court of Appeal was elected as the chairman of the association, Tamar Alania, judge of the Tbilisi Court of Appeal, as the executive director of the board, and other judges - Ilona Todua, Tamar Alania, Thea Dzimistarashvili, Khatia Ardazishvili, Tamar Okropiridze, Tamar Oniani, Thea Leonidze, Tamar Zambakhidze, Leila Mamulashvili, Nata Naghtaidze, Nino Sandodze, Tamar Bezhanishvili, Tamar Burjanadze and Shorena Tsikaridze. - were elected as members of the board.

"Association of Women Judges of Georgia" does not have an official website, but manages a Facebook page on which announcements of the association, video references, information to raise awareness, etc. are published; It should be noted that the last activity dates back to 2020. Accordingly, the impression remains that for more than 2 years, the association has not had any kind of activity to achieve its statutory goals.

Associations of court officials

Association of Civil Officials of Tbilisi City Court

Tbilisi City Court Civil Officials Association was founded on April 8, 2010. The founders of the association are:

• Levan Mikaberidze;
• Zaza Macharashvili;
• Tamar Mchedlishvili;
• Mariam Tskifurishvili;
• Alexandre Iashvili.

Based on the extract from the public register (08/04/2010), it is clear that the chairman was Aleksandre Iashvili, however, according to the last extract of the association (25/11/2013), Giorgi Bochorishvili is the chairman of the association.

According to the association charter adopted in 2010, the main goals and objectives of the association are:

• Protection of professional, material, and social interests of public officials of the court;
• Raising the prestige of the judiciary and judges and their role in society;
• Assisting in the process of selecting public officials of the court, so that the selected persons are highly moral, capable, principled, and highly qualified;
• Protection of the rights and freedoms of officials of the apparatus;
• Development of legal profession, creation and establishment of norms of professional ethics;
• Conducting seminars, courses, and other similar meetings with the help of foreign and local specialists.

Accordingly, the main goal of the association is to support and promote the court system and activities. It should be noted that the association is not distinguished by its activity, although we read about their activities on the Tbilisi City Court website and Facebook page that the association carries out social activities. However, information on other activities is not sought.

Professional Association of Court Officials of Georgia

On November 18, 2013, the Professional Association of Court Officials of Georgia was founded in the form of A(a)IP. On November 20 of the same year, on the official website of the courts of Georgia, the information about the aforementioned was spread, in which the goals and possibilities of the association were described.

According to the information found on the website of the public registry, on November 13, 2013, the association approved the association's charter.

The main goal of the organization's activity is to provide the Georgian judicial system with:

• Independence and trust;
• Social responsibility and involvement;
• Professional education and development of innovative approaches.

The founding members of the association are:

• Ucha Todua;
• Goga Kupreishvili;
• Tatia Kvrivishvili;
• Nino Meladze;
• Irakli Gvaramadze;
• Nino Topuridze;
• Nodar Karashvili.

The association elected Ucha Thodua as its chairman at the meeting on November 13, 2013.

According to the extract from the public register (last updated in 2013), Ucha Todua is still the chairman of the association, despite the fact that since June 2021 he is a judge of the civil affairs panel of the Tbilisi City Court.

Any official of the judicial system can become a member of the Professional Association of Court Officials of Georgia. The association does not have a website and its social media page is currently unavailable.

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