During the two-day workshop, up to 100 judges from common courts of Georgia exchanged with election commissioners on the latest changes to the electoral legal framework and practices, prior to the 26 October 2024 Parliamentary Elections. Since the upcoming elections will be held with the use of new voting technology nationwide, participants discussed new approaches to adjudicating electoral complaints in the digital era. The workshop was organised by the Council of Europe in cooperation with the Central Election Commission of Georgia and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES).
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 the Parliamentary and Electoral Cooperation Division, Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) and Renata Levovski, Country Director at the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) delivered opening remarks. The speakers, among others, underlined the 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 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 to develop common practices and ensure that effective legal remedies are in place prior to the 26 October 2024 Parliamentary Elections. Judges and election commissioners identified potential challenges related to the use of new voting technology, discussed practical examples and common approaches for their solution with special emphasis on the case law of the European Court of Human Rights on electoral matters.
The workshop was organised within the framework of the Council of Europe Project “Supporting Transparency, Inclusiveness and Integrity of Electoral Practice and Process in Georgia”.
