First Hearing on Amendments regarding Court Juries

Today, the parliament’s legal committee intends to hold a first hearing on draft amendments to the Criminal Procedural Code of Georgia, according to which court juries would be authorized to discuss criminal cases involving former or acting governmental officials. The initiative was registered at the parliament on January 14.

According to the draft amendments prepared by the Ministry of Justice, the courts of Tbilisi and Kutaisi, with jury participation, will be able to discuss criminal cases of particularly high public interest. “High public interest” refers to those cases wherein former or acting government officials and their allies are charged with crimes punishable under the Law on Conflict of Interest and Corruption in Public Agencies. The law defines government officials as public servants, from the president down to representatives of local governments.

The current version of the Criminal Procedural Code allows jury members to discuss criminal cases on premeditated murders. Jury members can pass verdicts on cases such as: premeditated murders under aggravating circumstances (Article 109 of the Criminal Code of Georgia), mercy-killings (Article 110 of CCG), premeditated murder under sudden extreme emotional excitement (Article 111 of CCG), infanticide with aforethought (Article 112), murder beyond necessary defense (Article 113), and murder beyond measure necessary for catching a criminal (Article 114).

Interpresnews