Lawyers Protest Postponed Legislative Changes

Lawyers from Batumi protest postponed introduction of amendments to the Criminal Procedural Code of Georgia. Consulting meeting on this issue was held at Public Defender’s Batumi office on May 19. President of the Georgian Bar Association Zaza Khatiashvili also attended the meeting together with local human rights defenders.

In accordance to the current edition of the Criminal Procedural Code, defence side is not authorized to petition to the court to start search or withdrawal procedures, whilst, the draft-amendments give similar authority to them. 

Lawyers believe those amendments will restore equality principle between defence and prosecutor’s sides. However, old edition of the Article 111 Part II of the Criminal Procedural Code is still in force before September 1, 2014.

Ramin Papidze, lawyer: “We, the lawyers’ corps, intend to work out joint petition and send to both legislative and executive governments to put Article 111 Part 2 of the CPC in motion. Those amendments shall not be postponed till next year.”

Zaza Khatiashvili, president of the Georgian Bar Association: “I call upon the Parliament of Georgia to amend the mistake made during third hearing and put Article 111 Part 2 of the CPC into force and allow defence side to appeal to the court on the launch of search and withdrawal procedures.” 

Maka Malakmadze, Adjara