A Council of Europe expert conducted a training needs assessment of the Independent Inspector’s staff on 15-16 February 2018 in Tbilisi, Georgia.  The Inspector’s position, having been introduced to the Georgian legal system as a result of the “third wave judicial reform,” is destined to further enhance accountability and transparency of the judicial disciplinary proceedings. The objective of the needs-assessment visit was to cross-check the newly appointed Inspector’s staff’s readiness to fully comply with the functions set by the legal framework. Meetings were held with the Inspector, the Secretary and members of the Council, as well as civil society representatives.

The interlocutors highlighted the importance of putting in place an effective and well-functioning institution. Discussions also touched upon the legal provisions regulating disciplinary proceedings and their limitations, as well as the existing backlog and its effect on disciplinary proceedings. The expert identified several key issues to be addressed by the Project in future capacity building activities.

The Council of Europe endeavour finds its basis in the CCJE Opinion No. 3(2002) on the principles and rules governing judges’ professional conduct. In the words of one of the stakeholders, the institution of the Independent Inspector is expected to contribute to an enhanced public trust towards the judiciary.

The training needs assessment was conducted within the framework of the Council of Europe project “Support to the Judicial Reform in Georgia” funded by the voluntary contributions of Bulgaria, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Norway, the Slovak Republic and Sweden to support the implementation of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Georgia 2016-2019.