On August 10, the Consultative Council of European Judges (CCJE) published a special statement [1] in reaction to the competition announced by the Ministry of Justice to select a member of the Consultative Council. 

CCJE notes that the hasty character of the procedure, which set a limited time for possible applicants to be aware of the competition, raises concerns regarding its fairness and quality.  The statement also finds the non-notification of Nino Bakakuri, the Supreme Court judge who is the current representative of Georgia in CCJE and whose appointment runs until 2024, problematic. CCJE also emphasizes that Nino Bakakuri has been contributing to the Council’s work in a highly professional manner and that the Council has greatly benefitted from her expertise in working groups and plenary meetings.  

The Coalition for an Independent and Transparent Judiciary published a critical statement [2] in reaction to the competition announced by the Ministry of Justice. CCJE shares the Coalition’s criticisms and calls on the Ministry of Justice to ensure that the implementation of this competition upholds the highest standards with respect to the selection criteria of candidates, notably, their competence, integrity, and independence. 

Once again, the Coalition calls on the Ministry of Justice to clarify the reasons for the announcement of the competition when this position, at least until 2024, is held by Judge Nino Bakakuri and she has not applied to the authorized bodies with a request to terminate her membership.