The Legal Affairs Committee reviewed and approved, at the 1st reading, amendments to the “Defense Code”, which concern issues related to the registration of conscripts, the organization of national military service for conscripts, and service within the Defense Forces of Georgia.

According to the reporter, Deputy Defense Minister Grigol Giorgadze, in order to ensure clarification of procedural matters related to secondary employment by military personnel, the validity period of the written consent required for carrying out such activity will be specified as one year.

At the same time, organizational matters necessary for obtaining permission for compatible employment - such as procedures for submitting requests, relevant deadlines, and forms of consent - will be regulated by a legal act of the Minister of Defense.

He further noted that, as a technical amendment, the term “temporary release from position” will be replaced with “release from position”.

As stated by Grigol Giorgadze, in order to clarify the organizational aspects of placing individuals on military registration and summoning them for national military service, the procedures for registration and for calling up conscripts will be defined: “By a resolution of the Government, the family members of a person who may receive a notification or summons regarding the individual’s military registration and conscription into national military service will be determined. According to the amendment, a person undergoing national military service in the form of contractual military service will, in the event of termination of the contract, be automatically transferred to the 8-month national military service for conscripts, unless they are entitled to exemption or deferment from conscription, or have a severe family circumstance confirmed by relevant documentation”.

He also noted that a person transferred from professional military service to national military service for conscripts will have the obligation to pay a penalty for breach of contract deferred for a period of 8 months, and upon completion of service, the obligation to pay the penalty will be fully waived. According to the draft law, the norm will be generalized so that the selection procedures prior to admission to military service - similar to those applied to contractual service - will also apply to non-contractual military personnel. This includes physical, medical, psychological, and special screening, as well as interviews in premeditated case.