The Ministry of Justice of Georgia, the Georgian Training Center of Justice, and the International Center for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), in close collaboration with the Interagency Coordination Council for Actions Against Human Trafficking and with financial support from the EU Delegation in Georgia, are organizing the Giorgi Margiani Mock Trial on Human Trafficking.

This project is part of the 2023-2024 Action Plan to combat human trafficking and aims to raise awareness among students in Tbilisi and other regions about human trafficking issues. Additionally, it seeks to enhance students' legal representation skills and foster connections among participants.

Competition Timeline:

October 18 - November 3, 2024: Registration period for teams;

• October 23, 2024, 7:00 p.m.: Online presentation of the project;
• November 4, 2024: Distribution of preparatory materials and case information to registered teams;

- November 4-10, 2024: Teams submit clarifying questions regarding the case;

- November 4-27, 2024: Preparation of written arguments for both defense and prosecution;

- November 7-13, 2024: Training sessions for registered teams;

- November 27, 2024 - 11:59 p.m.: Deadline for submission of written arguments by teams;

- December 2, 2024: Announcement of teams progressing to the oral rounds;

- December 2-15, 2024: Preparation period for oral round participants;

- December 16-18, 2024: Oral rounds of the mock trial.

Participation in the competition and eligibility criteria:

A team consisting of undergraduate and graduate students of any faculty of authorized public or private higher educational institutions in Georgia can participate in the simulated court trial. It is possible for one or more teams to register from one university.

A team member can only be a person who has the status of a student at the moment of the competition and is at the bachelor's or master's level. Also, the team member should not have participated in the oral round of the project.

Each team can include between 2 to 4 students.

Stages of mock trial:

The mock trial will consist of two stages: a written round and an oral round.

Each team must present both defense and prosecution arguments in the written and oral stages.

The top 8 teams from the written round will proceed to the oral round.

Language of the Competition:

The mock trial will be conducted in Georgian, including all written submissions, correspondence, and oral presentations. However, participants are encouraged to use foreign-language literature to support their arguments, if necessary.

Prizes and Recognition:

Prizes will be awarded to members of the finalist teams;

All participants in the oral round will receive a certificate of participation.

To register your team, please complete the following [registration link]

To attend the online project presentation, please fill out the [registration link]

Competition rules

For more information, feel free to contact:

Shota Chitanava (+995) 577 41 93 99; shchitanava@justice.gov.ge

Mariam Chilashvili (+995) 511 33 16 77; mchilashvili@tcj.gov.ge