At the two-day workshop, up to 100 judges from common courts of Georgia exchanged with election commissioners on latest changes to the electoral legal framework and practices. They committed to develop common practices and ensure that effective legal remedies are in place prior to 26 October Parliamentary Elections. Participants discussed new approaches to adjudicating electoral complaints in a digital era, considering that upcoming elections will be held with the use of new voting technology nationwide.

The workshop aimed to support closer alignment of domestic electoral practices with international standards taking into account challenges related to the use of information technology. The dialogue platform facilitated direct exchange between the Central Election Commission and the judges who identified potential challenges related to the use of new voting technology, discussed practical examples and common approaches for their solution. Emphasis was made on the case law of the European Court of Human Rights on electoral matters.

Giorgi Kalandarishvili, Chairperson of the Central Election Commission of Georgia, Dimitry Gvritishvili, Member of the High Council of Justice of Georgia, Chairperson  of the Chamber on Administrative Cases of the Tbilisi Court of Appeals, Liri Kopaçi-Di Michele, Head of Parliamentary and Electoral Cooperation Division, Secretariat of Parliamentary Assembly, Council of Europe, Renata Levovski, Country Director at the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), among others, underlined importance of adhering to core electoral principles for democratic elections conducted with the use of voting technology and the role of independent, impartial and effective judiciary in upholding free and fair elections.

The workshop was organised in co-operation with the Central Election Commission of Georgia and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), within the framework of the Council of Europe Project “Supporting Transparency, Inclusiveness and Integrity of Electoral Practice and Process in Georgia”.