Judges working on the Election Disputes

As of the 1^st of November 2024 data, the monitors of the Georgian Court Watch attended election related disputes considered by 30 judges. 26 out of these judges have been appointed for life, and four are newly appointed.

Who are the judges considering election disputes? 

Out of 30 judges:

• 9 – became judges before 2013;
  
  
• 21 – where appointed after 2013. More particularly, Georgian Dream came into government and started implementing various changes within the judicial system.

Judges appointed before 2013 and still exercising their power:  

1. Aleksandre Goguadze – Judge since 1999, and after expiration of the term, appointed for life. Before being appointed as a judge, he was an employee of the Parliamentary legal committee.
2. Davit Akhalbedashvili  - Judge since 2011, appointed for life since 2019. Previously he was a prosecutor.
3. Lia Avalishvili – Judge since 2005, appointed for life since 2018. Before being appointed as a judge, she held the positions of a consultant in the court and an assistant to the judge. 
4. Dimitri Gvritishvili - Judge since 2008, appointed for life since 2017, previously held a position of an assistant to the judge.
5. Ilona Todua - Judge since 2007, appointed for life since 2018. She was a court session secretary and an assistant to the judge before being appointed as a judge.
6. Ia Labadze - Judge since 2012, appointed for life since 2023. She previously held a position of an assistant to the judge. 
7. Tamar Oniani - Judge since 2010, appointed for life since 2018. She previously held the positions of an assistant to the judge and referent.
8. Irakli Abshilava - Judge since 2007, when he was appointed as a judge in Chkorotsku Regional Court, judge for life since June 2019. Before being appointed as a judge, he used to hold different positions at the Economic Department of the Ministry of Justice.
9. Manana Nikachadze - Judge since 1999. After taking a break for a couple of years, she returned to the court in 2016 and was appointed for life in 2017.

Judges who were appointed after 2013 and still holding their positions:

1. Koba Chagunava – Appointed as a judge in 2020, became judge for life in 2023. Before being appointed as a judge, held a position of an assistant to the judge in Tbilisi Court of Appeals.
2. Lela Tsagareishvili  - Judge since 2020, she was appointed for life in 2023. Before becoming a judge, she was an assistant to the judge in Tbilisi Court of Appeals.
3. Manuchar Tsatsua - Judge since 2014, he was appointed for life in 2017. Before becoming a judge, he worked as an attorney.
4. Natia Togonidze - Judge since 2018, she was appointed for life in 2021. Before becoming a judge, she was an assistant to the judge in Mtskheta District Court. 
5. Salome Samkharadze - Judge since 2021, she was appointed for life in 2024. Before becoming a judge, she was an assistant to the judge in Tbilisi Court of Appeals.
6. Nino Enukidze - Judge since 2021, she was appointed for life in 2024. Previously held positions of a session secretary and an assistant to the judge in Tbilisi City Court.
7. Irina Gogoladze - Judge since 2020, she was appointed for life in 2023. Before becoming a judge, she was an assistant to the judge in Tbilisi Court of Appeals.
8. Ekaterine Oboladze - Judge since 2021, she was appointed for life in 2024. Before becoming a judge, she was an assistant to the judge in Tbilisi Court of Appeals.
9. Nana Aptsiauri - Judge since 2015, she was appointed for life in 2018. Before becoming a judge, she was an assistant to the judge in Tbilisi City Court.
10. Ia Baramidze - Judge since 2020, she was appointed for life in 2023. Before becoming a judge, she was an assistant to the judge in Tbilisi City Court.
11. Tsitsino Rokhvadze - Judge since 2017, she was appointed for life in 2010. Before being appointed as a judge, served as a court magistrate.
12. Gocha Didava - Judge since 2016, she was appointed for life in 2019. Previously, he held a position of the Head of Apparatus at the Supreme Court.
13. Salome Gvelesiani - Judge since 2021, she was appointed for life in 2024. Before being appointed as a judge, she was an office employee at Rustavi City Court.
14. Zviad Gochashvili - Appointed as a judge with a 3-year term in 2024. Previously held positions of a session secretary/assistant to the judge in Kutaisi Court of Appeals.
15. Zviad Tsekvava - Appointed as a judge with a 3-year probation term in 2024. Previously, he was an assistant to the judge in Tbilisi City Court.
16. Gvantsa Vardanidze – Is a Magistrate judge at Zugdidi Regional Court in Tsalenjikha municipality. She was appointed for life in December 2023. Previously was an assistant writer at Kutaisi Court of Appeals.
17. Irakli Chikashua – Appointed as a judge of the Board of Administrative Affairs at Tbilisi City Court in June 2021, he became a judge for life in June 2024. Previously held position of a lawyer at various banks.
18. Vladimer Tsitlauri – On 1st of October he was appointed as a judge at Bolnisi District Court for 3 years. Before that, he was an investigator of particularly important cases in the police department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
19. Lela Mildenbergeri – Was appointed as a judge of the Board of Administrative Affairs at Kutaisi City Court in 2018, judge for life since 2020. Previously held a position of an assistant to the judge at Tbilisi Court of Appeals.
20. Iveri Abashidze - Was appointed as a judge of the Board of Civil Affairs at Tbilisi City Court in 2018 for three years and became judge for life in 2021. Previously served as a manager at Batumi City Court - Department Head of Personnel and Organizational Affairs.
21. Mariam Chubinidze – On 1st of October, she was appointed as a judge at Khashuri Regional Court for 3 probation years. Before becoming a judge, was an assistant to a judge at Tbilisi Court of Appeals.

What are the specializations of the judges appointed for life

• 4 judges – were moved to Administrative Board in 2024, during pre-election period. In particular, 2 judges of Tbilisi Court of Appeals – Gocha Didava and Davit Akhalbedashvili, having experience of working with criminal and civil specialization for several years, were moved to the Board of Administrative Affairs in June 2024. Two judges of Tbilisi City Court – Salome Gvelesiani and Iveri Abashidze, who held the positions of the judges of the Board of Civil Affairs, were moved to the Board of Administrative Affairs in June (Iveri Abashidze) and October (Salome Gvelesiani) 2024.
• 17 judges – were either appointed as the judges with administrative position from the very beginning (2015-2023) or were transferred to the Board of Administrative Affairs.
• Information on 5 judges is missing from the court or High Council of Justice websites.

When were the judges of election disputes appointed for life?

Significant majority of the judges reviewing pre-election disputes were appointed for life during 2023-2024.

Who are the new judges reviewing election disputes and do they or other judges have relevant competence?

Four newly appointed judges are considering the pre-election disputes. These are Zviad Tsekvava, Zviad Gochashvili, Vladimer Tsitlauri and Mariam Chubinidze, who were appointed as the judges with 3-year probation period by the High Council of Justice on 1^st of October 2024.

Accordingly, the question arises, whether these judges have the knowledge and experience of reviewing election disputes? The cases of Zviad Gochashvili and Vladimer Tsitlauri are of a particular interest. They are specialized in criminal law, as the trainings they have completed are solely in criminal law. Gochashvili has passed judicial exam in criminal law. The court does not publish information on Tsitlauri, however, according to the public sources, his academic activities are also within criminal law. 

Additionally, information published on the website of the High Council of Justice does not specify whether other judges reviewing election disputes have completed any professional/vocational programs related to currently ongoing disputes.  

Majority of the 30 judges have passed the qualification exams in the civil and administrative fields, however, there are judges among them, who passed the exam in criminal law. Information on most of the judges is not available on the court website.

When the judges attended the High School of Justice?

Studying the backgrounds of the judges revealed that most of them attended the High School of Justice in 2019-2020. Accordingly, we can say that the big majority of judges working on election disputes are relatively new hires.

Where did the election dispute judges worked before being appointed as the judges?

Out of 30 judges, vast majority have several years of experience of working on various positions within judicial system – mostly holding positions of an assistant to the judge and a session secretary.

As for the 21 judges, appointed during the Georgian Dream being in the government, 18 out of them used to hold various positions at the court (most if them at Tbilisi Court of Appeals), one out of three judges worked as a bank lawyer, the second – as an attorney and the third – an investigator.

Informational article was prepared by the Georgian Court Watch, with the support of USAID Rule of Law Program. The program is implemented by the East-West Management Institute, with the financial support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Georgian Court Watch bears full responsibility on the content of the document and the views expressed in it may not reflect the view of the East-West Management Institute and the United States Agency for International Development.