Pawel Herczynski, the European Union ambassador to Georgia, said Monday the bloc supports reforms in Georgia, including the country’s judicial system.
In his remarks, Herczynski pointed out that the country’s progress in seeking EU candidate status would be assessed in the EU enlargement report by the 27 member states, noting that “there is still time to move forward”.
The diplomat stressed that “professionalism, full independence of judges, a very strong and solid judicial system” are among the priorities the bloc has set for granting the status to the country.
We work together with the Georgian [Government], with the Justice Department to initiate reforms. Justice reform is also being worked on in Parliament. The EU always supports these reforms,” Herczynski said.
“So there is still time to move on and ensure that these reforms, which are very difficult and challenging, progress well,” he concluded.
The comments come after controversy in the country over the judiciary, after the United States State Department earlier this month sanctioned four former and current Georgian judges over alleged corruption under the visa restrictions agency.
The decision alleged that Irakli Shengelia, Mikheil Chinchaladze, Levan Murusidze and Valerian Tsertsvadze had “abused their positions as court chairmen and members of the High Judicial Council of Georgia, thereby undermining the rule of law and public confidence in the Georgian judicial system”.
The decision drew criticism from Georgian government officials, while the local opposition claimed it would highlight alleged corruption in the local judiciary and called for the formation of a parliamentary inquiry into the state of the local courts.
