On 19 October, the Council of Europe Office in Georgia organised a regional meeting of the Justice Coordination Council (JCC) in Batumi to discuss the issues of children in criminal proceedings. The activity was organised to support the judiciary, prosecution service and Georgian Bar Association (GBA).

The meeting was opened by the GBA chairperson, Head of the Department on Supervision of Prosecutorial Activities and Strategic Development of the Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia, representatives of donor organisations, the Council of Europe Office in Georgia and the USAID Rule of Law Project. Participants included the Chairperson of the Zugdidi District Court, judges, lawyers, and prosecutors from Tbilisi and different parts of Adjara and Samegrelo regions.

The discussion centred on a variety of subjects related to the involvement of children in criminal proceedings as victims or witnesses. The existing national and international standards, feasibility of questioning of children considering the risk of secondary traumatisation; involvement of psychologists in the process, their preliminary assessments and role in questioning were debated. Recommendations on these matters were discussed, recorded, and later approved. After approval, they are to be disseminated to judges, prosecutors and lawyers by the JCC secretariat.

The Justice Coordination Council is a formalised platform established in 2020 with the support of the Council of Europe Office in Georgia involving representatives of the judiciary, the prosecution service and the GBA. Its aim is to allow for discussions related to practical aspects of the implementation of justice. The secretariat of the JCC consists of representatives of all three agencies and is responsible for interagency coordination, dissemination of recommendations and follow-up actions.

This activity was organised within the framework of the Council of Europe Project entitled “Enhanced Access to Legal Aid Services for Marginalised Population” and implemented in Georgia.