A working meeting of judges on electoral matters was held at the initiative of the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Georgia. The meeting was opened by Giorgi Kalandarishvili, Chairperson of the CEC, and Dimitri Gvritishvili, member of the High Council of Justice of Georgia and Chairperson of the Administrative Chamber of the Tbilisi Court of Appeals.

Meeting was organized for judges who adjudicate administrative cases in common courts and focused on the upcoming municipal elections scheduled for October 4. Over 2 days, participants discussed a number of important topics, including electronic election technologies, legislative amendments, the results of the compliance audit of electronic systems, court practice related to electoral disputes, and more.

The CEC Chairperson spoke in detail about the strategic directions aimed at ensuring a transparent and innovative voting process. He also informed participants about the introduction and application of electoral technologies in the voting process. Within the framework of the meeting, Giorgi Santuriani, Head of the CEC Office / Legal Department, reviewed the legal acts adopted by the Election Administration regulating the use of technologies and developing the relevant legal framework. His presentation was based on practical examples and audit findings, which serve as an important resource for courts when adjudicating electoral disputes.

“It has become a well-established tradition and a good practice to hold informative working meetings with judges handling administrative cases ahead of each election, in close cooperation with the High Council of Justice. During this meeting, we had the opportunity to provide judges with up-to-date information about the latest legislative and normative acts adopted at the CEC level, the use of technological tools, and to discuss electoral dispute resolution practices”, - said Giorgi Kalandarishvili.

“These meetings, now firmly established as a tradition before each election, are mutually beneficial - both for representatives of the Election Administration and for my colleagues, the judges - ensuring that the justice process is carried out properly and correctly””, - added Dimitri Gvritishvili.

As part of the meeting, participants were also briefed on judicial practices related to electoral disputes, presented by Gvritishvili. The 2-day working meeting took place in Tsinandali on July 19–20, where participants also had the opportunity to see practical demonstrations of novelties related to election technologies.