On 1 April 2019, Public Defender Nino Lomjaria met with representatives of the Venice Commission visiting Georgia and introduced her opinions about the rule of selection of the Supreme Court judges.

The Public Defender drew attention to several issues, which, according to her, are necessary preconditions for ensuring transparency and fairness of the decision-making process.

The Public Defender spoke about the selection criteria, secrecy of voting, conflict of interest and the necessary number of votes for making a decision. She also underlined the role of the Parliament in the process of election of judges and the importance of transparency of the process.

The representatives of the Venice Commission have arrived in Georgia to provide assistance to the country in implementing constitutional reforms. They have already met with MPs and the individuals involved in the reform process.

We hope that the context of Georgia and the existing challenges will be considered as much as possible during the submission of an opinion. The Public Defender will send a written report to the Commission in the next few days.