Supreme Court of Georgia

Working Meeting at the Supreme Court of Georgia

Published: 11/17/2017

On November 17, 2017 the Chairperson of the Supreme Court of Georgia and High Council of Justice, Nino Gvenetadze held a meeting in the format of scientific advisory council with members of the working team developing guidelines for jury procedures. The working team members are judges, prosecutors, solicitors, representatives of the Ministry of Justice and international experts.

The meeting was attended by judges from criminal cases panels of Tbilisi and Rustavi City Courts and a British expert, Jeremy McBride and  Giorgi Giorgadze, a senior officer of the project “Application of the European Convention on Human Rights and harmonisation of national legislation and judicial practice in line with European Standards in Georgia” and Michael Grant,  US Embassy`s Resident Legal Advisor, representative of the  Department of Justice .

Nino Gvenetadze greeted the participants and talked about importance of the project “Application of the European Convention on Human Rights and harmonisation of national legislation and judicial practice in line with European Standards in Georgia” for the criminal law functioning in Georgia. She also pointed out that Jeremy McBride’s instructions and guidelines are very valuable and will be presented in the jury procedures instructions in compliance with Georgian actuality.

The agenda of the meeting  involved review of such important issues as experience of England and Scotland,   Landmark Case-Law of the European Court of Human Rights with respect to jury selection  procedures, verdict reasoning, standards of media reporting and broadcasting of the hearings and elements of fair justice rights for the jury and other recommendations  upon legislative amendments. Judges asked questions and shared Georgian experience of the field. The participants agreed upon providing individual written assessment of the guidelines offered by Jeremy McBride and sending them  to the Ministry of Justice for further development of  amendments  in legislation concerning jury instructions.