On 17 May 2023 the Council of Europe Office in Georgia organised the Justice Coordination Council meeting related to the effective implementation of the Juvenile Justice Code. The meeting was held in Tskaltubo town, in Imereti region.
The participants included judges, prosecutors and lawyers, mostly from this region, working with juveniles in conflict with the law. The meeting was opened by the GBA Chairperson, Deputy Head of the Department on Prosecutorial Activities Supervision and Strategic Development and the representative of the Council of Europe office in Georgia.
The attendees discussed a number of issues related to sensitivities at the investigation stage, admissibility of certain types of evidence in the court, mediation for juveniles and the importance of their comprehensive individual assessment before decision-making. Participants also raised the issue of mandatory legal representation for juvenile witnesses, measures to reduce stress and secondary victimisation during questioning, or visual identification of perpetrators and specificities of questioning juveniles with disabilities. At the end of the meeting a separate session was dedicated to the formulation of recommendations originating from the discussion. Following the meeting the Secretariat of the Council will ensure dissemination of developed recommendations to Judges, lawyers and prosecutors working on cases of Juveniles.
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.
