The Georgian National Committee of the International Chamber of Commerce ICC-Georgia would like once again to address the recent developments in the judicial system of the country:
“The Georgian Judiciary is perceived as bias, unreliable, and corrupt. This perception has increased dramatically in the past years and a very large number of businesses both Georgian and foreign have been defrauded by the Georgian Courts by what is seen as a travesty of Justice.
An increasing number of businesses including many of ICC members and some of them very large investors are extremely dissatisfied with the quality of justice delivered by the Georgian Courts and do report to us very serious flaws in the administration of justice.
A large number of credible and trusted local civil society organizations and NGO coalitions that closely monitor the Judiciary are also reporting grave systemic problems stemming from the management of the system by some informal powerful group of judges with power to influence and exert control over individual judges.
The reputation of the Georgian judiciary is significantly damaged due to systemic problems and the very low quality of justice. It is common knowledge that distrust towards the Judiciary is rapidly building up amongst all groups of society, and this is very worrying.
The country will never move forward and the economy will never grow substantially unless serious reforms are carried out in the Judiciary to bring confidence and trust to businesses and civil society alike.
An independent and trusted judiciary is essential for democratic development and economic stability. Corruption and poor administration of justice have a terrible impact on rule of law and democracy, and undermines the trust of potential investors in Georgia hindering very seriously Georgia’s international image.
Given all of the above, both Government and Parliament should immediately acknowledge the systemic problems within the court system and take all measures to implement the required reforms to ensure judicial independence and for that political will is crucial!
The international Chamber of Commerce with its global experience is mobilized to support the government in identifying the problems for a successful implementation of the necessary reforms in the Judiciary. A trusted, independent and reliable Judiciary is crucial for businesses, civil society and government alike.
ICC Georgia is the largest and most vocal global Business Association in the country; it includes over 350 corporate and youth members and 28 business associations. The International Chamber of Commerce is the largest business organization in the world that includes over 6.5 million businesses and chambers of commerce. ICC consults regularly at the global level with the G8, G20, the World Bank, WTO, WCO and the UN”.
