This week, the Parliament of Georgia began an accelerated consideration of a package of amendments to the Organic Law of Georgia on Common Courts and its accompanying draft laws.

The submitted legislative amendments concern important issues such as coverage of court hearings, rules for staffing the High Council of Justice and judges' business trips, availability of judicial acts as public information, and a number of other fundamental issues related to the functioning of the judiciary.

It is worth noting that the accelerated consideration of the legislative amendments does not provide for the possibility of full inclusion and participation in it, which significantly harms the legislative process.

Unfortunately, the amendments introduced in the Parliament remove important guarantees that ensure the public nature of court proceedings, which will significantly worsen the transparency of justice in the country, as well as the media's access to the process of administration of justice. According to the draft law, the principle of publicness established today will be substantially changed, and instead of openness, prohibition will become the main rule.

The draft law brings back the regulation in force in Georgia from 2007 to 2013, according to which photography, filming, video recording and broadcasting in court, as well as during the consideration of cases in the courtroom, were prohibited, except in cases when this was carried out by the court or persons authorized by the court.

It is noteworthy that such a practice was severely criticized by the Public Defender in the 2007 parliamentary report.[1]

The Public Defender of Georgia calls on the Parliament not to consider the aforementioned legislative package in an expedited manner and to consider these amendments in accordance with the general procedure established by the Rules of Procedure of Georgia.