Parliament to Ratify Amendment on Covering Court Hearings on March 6

Nata Dzvelishvili, www.media.ge

The legislative amendment on covering court hearings that was due to enter force on March 1st was postponed due to the Parliament’s failure to bring the Law on Common Courts in compliance with the Criminal Procedure Code. 

According to the January 18, 2013 amendment made to the Criminal Procedure Code of Georgia,  Natia Kapanadze, Head of the Media Legal Protection Center of the Georgian Young Lawyers Association (GYLA) stated that photo and video recording was due to be resumed from March 1, 2103. The amendment applies to criminal cases only. To extend the aforesaid norm over any case the same amendment is to be made to the Law on Common Courts. 

According to GYLA’s lawyer Tatuli Todua who works on parliamentary issues the Parliament was to vote on the draft law on February 22. 

The Parliament was unable to vote on the amendment be made to the Law on Common Courts through the third hearing. The website of the Parliament of Georgia stated that the lack of quorum was the reason. In the evening of February 22 some reports on filing charges against Tbilisi City Mayor Gigi Ugualava were released, hence some members of the parliamentary minority left Kutaisi,” Tatuli Todua clarified. 

The endorsement of the amendment was ultimately scheduled for March 6. According to the new regulation, following court’s consent, mass media, as well as parties and/or other individuals will be admitted to conduct photo and video recording based on a reasoned request. Konstantine Kublashvili, Chairman of the Supreme Court said on March 4 reporting to journalists. 

According to the amendment the Public Broadcaster is authorized to conduct photo, video and audio recording as well as TV transmission unless, according to the court’s decision, the hearing is declared closed or partly closed. The public broadcaster shall provide the footage to other means of media upon request. 

If the public broadcaster refuses to conduct recording or transmit proceedings on live TV, other holders of general broadcasting license will be authorized to exercise this right.