Coalition for an Independent and Transparent Judiciary hosted forum about perspectives on the Prosecutor’s office and the Ministry of Internal Affairs reforms

13 February, 2015

U.S. Ambassador to Georgia Richard Norland and Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia David Usupashvili opened a public forum on reform issues of the Prosecutor’s Office and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The Coalition for an Independent and Transparent Judiciary hosted the forum on February 9 at 10:00 a.m. at Radisson Blu Iveria Hotel.

The forum brought together government and civil society stakeholders to discuss reform issues of the Prosecutor’s Office and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The Coalition provided recommendations on how to improve independence, effectiveness, and accountability of the Prosecutor’s Office. Discussions ranged from the broader issues of the constitutional status of the Prosecutor’s Office to specific recommendations on how to improve its independence and effectiveness. The Coalition also considered problems of politicization, accountability, and transparency of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

As in previous forums, the Coalition brought together a diverse group of stakeholders with potentially different views to engage in open discussion aimed at providing a greater understanding of the issues at hand. Representatives of the executive, legislative, and judiciary branches of government, as well as practicing lawyers, journalists, international donor organizations, and experts in the field, were in attendance. This was the eleventh forum in a series organized by the Coalition. Thirty-four legal professional associations, several legal rights NGOs, business associations, and the media helped promote an independent and transparent judiciary by monitoring relevant judicial practices and advocating for reforms.

The forum was supported by the U.S. Government through the USAID-funded Judicial Independence and Legal Empowerment Program (JILEP), implemented by East West Management Institute as a part of its ongoing initiatives to support democracy and the rule of law in Georgia. The forum was also supported by Open Society Georgia Foundation.