From 12 to 13 July 2024, CEPEJ organised in cooperation with the High School of Justice of Georgia a Training of Trainers focused on judicial referral to mediation based on CEPEJ Mediation Development Toolkit and the module on mediation of the new HELP course “Quality of Justice – the work of the CEPEJ”.  The main objective was to empower a select group of Georgian judges with the necessary skills and knowledge to train their peers on effectively referring cases to mediation, thus ensuring a transfer of knowledge that is useful for access to and quality of justice.

The training emphasised the importance of a structured approach to the referral process. Modules covered the legal framework for mediation in Georgia, the stages of mediation, and effective methods for oral and written referrals. Practical activities, including role-plays and group discussions, helped participants improve their skills in conducting referral interviews and encouraging parties to consider mediation. It also highlighted the need for continuous evaluation and improvement of the training module to align with the Georgian regulatory framework and judicial practices.

Then on 15 July 2024, the CEPEJ held a first workshop in Zugdidi Regional Court, aiming to design a court mediation programme to raise awareness among court users also based on CEPEJ Mediation Development Toolkit. This initiative is a part of CEPEJ's broader court coaching programme in Georgian.

During the meeting, CEPEJ international experts shared good practices from their respective countries and proposal of strategies and ways to promote mediation. Zugdidi Regional Court will develop an action plan based on the information and recommendations provided with the aim to sensitise court users on mediation.

This event is part of the European Union and the Council of Europe joint programme “Partnership for Good Governance”, co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe, and implemented by the Council of Europe, in the framework of the project “Support to modernisation of court management in Georgia".