Georgian Deputy Justice Minister: no ECHR ruling has found judiciary lacks independence or impartiality

Beka Dzamashvili, the deputy minister of justice of Georgia, on Saturday said that over the 14-year tenure of the Georgian Dream government, the European Court of Human Rights has not issued a single ruling finding the country’s judiciary to lack independence or impartiality.

Speaking on the Imedi TV show Open Air - Debates, Dzamashvili discussed the criteria used to evaluate judicial independence, arguing that both public trust and international legal assessments demonstrate confidence in Georgia’s judicial system.

“How can judicial independence be assessed? First, through public perception. To address this, a 2024 survey by Ipsos France found that the level of trust in our judiciary stood at 61% - compared to an average of 53% across EU countries”, he said.

The official further noted that no case brought before the ECHR during the Georgian Dream government’s time in office has resulted in a finding that the Georgian judiciary lacks impartiality or independence.

“Second, and most objectively: our government has been in power for 14 years, and you cannot name a single case sent to Strasbourg where the European Court concluded that the Georgian judiciary has a problem with independence or impartiality. You cannot name one. There is simply no more objective assessment than that”, Dzamashvili concluded.