During the meeting with the Deputy Dean of the Law Faculty of Humboldt University, Martin Heger, the Minister of Justice stated that for him, as for a graduate of the German Academy, the process of rapprochement of the Georgian-German academies is particularly important. Here he expressed his gratitude for the opportunity for Georgian students to study in Germany.

Rati Bregadze spoke about the fact that a law informatics course will be created on the basis of the Training Center of Justice. In Georgia, this direction of law is not taught at law faculties. During the meeting with the Minister of Justice, Martin Heger said that it would be interesting to involve the Humboldt University in this regard, as well as to share the German experience in the field of criminology.

Rati Bregadze also spoke about the strategic approach of the Ministry of Justice that in its daily activities, justice and rule of law projects are based on evidence, science, analytics and human rights-based approaches. To support this approach, the bilingual legal magazine Iustitia was founded in 2021, where scientific works are published; A memorandum of cooperation was signed with the Georgian Academy of Sciences; The scientific-advisory council under the Ministry of Justice was founded.

The Ministry of Justice signed memoranda with local universities. The students of the mentioned university will have the opportunity to practice in the Ministry of Justice, which in turn contributes to the attraction and development of intellectual resources.

First Deputy Minister of Justice, Tamar Tkeshelashvili and Deputies, Buba Lomuashvili and Beka Dzamashvili, and Ambassador of Georgia to Germany, Levan Izoria also attended the meeting held at Humboldt University.

Within the framework of his official visit to Germany, the Minister of Justice met today with Chairperson of the Legal Committee of the German Bundestag, Elisabeth Winkelmeier-Becker. First Deputy Minister, Tamar Tkeshelashvili, Deputies, Buba Lomuashvili and Beka Dzamashvili, and Georgian ambassador to Germany, Levan Izoria also attended the meeting.

At the meeting, the minister said that for him, as for the head of the department of law-making activities, the directions of cooperation with the Legal Committee of the Bundestag and the Federal Ministry of Justice of Germany are particularly interesting.

During the meeting, the members of the delegation of the Ministry of Justice also noted that the modern Georgian legal space was formed under the influence of the values established in Germany. Accordingly, the legal institutions regulated by the legislation of Georgia and their components are clearly similar to the German legal system. According to the Minister of Justice, a great contribution to the creation of the legislation of independent Georgia was made by Georgian scientists, who at one time attended the German school of law and used the experience gained in the preparation of the legislative framework.

The Minister of Justice spoke about the fact that in Georgia, as in all other countries, the Ministry of Justice ensures, on the one hand, law-making activities, and on the other hand, the harmonization of Georgian legislation with international legal norms.

As the Chairperson of the Legal Committee of the German Bundestag noted, such important issues as: legal policy, legal state and democracy were discussed at the meeting. "We have a very high interest in Georgia. At the meeting, we got acquainted with the different directions of the activities of the Ministry of Justice, including digital services. We shared our experiences with each other and I think we will continue to do so with pleasure in the future," said Elizabeth Winkelmeier-Becker.

At the end of the meeting held in the Bundestag, Rati Bregadze noted that it is interesting for him to share German experience and learn about research activities. According to the Minister, the agency is working on a new prison code, and it will be important to get acquainted with the German practice on this issue in the format of cooperation.

After Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Borjomi, Rustavi and Batumi, the Minister of Justice held a presentation of the agency’s activity report for the residents of Telavi. The Minister personally provided information to the people of Telavi about the reforms implemented by the Ministry of Justice and fulfilled promises.

Strengthening the direction of human rights protection, legal security and effective services - all the innovations offered by the Ministry of Justice to citizens are united around these three principles. In particular:

The innovative project Mobile Public Service Hall was introduced and is successfully operating in 7 regions; PROBBOX electronic service system for probationers was launched in 6 big cities of Georgia; The reform of systematic land registration started - in 59 municipalities of Georgia, land is being measured and registered step by step, according to the timeframe;

Infrastructural works continue – 5 new public service halls and a community center were opened; Constructions are underway in 6 more municipalities; Additionally, one more Public Service Hall will be opened in Tbilisi, in Hualing; The Samtskhe-Javakheti regional archive building opened in Akhaltsikhe;

The bilingual magazine Iustitia was founded and published; The largest electronic legal database HeinOnline became available to the Ministry of Justice;

Memoranda of mutual cooperation were signed with the Ministries of Justice of Turkey, Israel, Hungary, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Switzerland;

Notary services have become available in administrative units - Saguramo, Gamarjveba, Martkofi, Shuakhevi, Adigeni, Aspindza, Kachreti, Keda, Khobi, Zestafon, Sighnaghi and Ambrolauri; Soon, citizens will be able to receive online notary services through a mobile application;

In addition, important reforms have been implemented in the penitentiary and probation systems – employment programs for prisoners have been strengthened; encouragement of sports activities in penitentiary institutions continues; Sports fields are being renovated; Regular trainings are in progress, probation offices opened in Sighnaghi, Terjola, Kutaisi and Zestafoni; The referral center opened in Kutaisi; Memoranda of cooperation have been signed with municipalities for the employment of persons sentenced with penal labor.

The presentation of the report was attended by the representatives of the local government, the Deputy Ministers of Justice, the employees of the local government agencies operating under the Telavi municipality and invited guests.

The agreement was signed by Deputy Minister of Justice, Tornike Cheishvili and Director of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), Alexis Goosdeel. The agreement is a clear example of sectoral cooperation with EU agencies and will contribute to the process of Georgia's integration with the EU.

The cooperation agreement aims to deepen cooperation, strengthen the capabilities of the National Drug Monitoring Centre and support the data collection system. In addition, the agreement envisions the sharing of experience on drug-related health and social harm response mechanisms, drug abuse prevention and drug addiction treatment, as well as support prevention of related diseases and harm reduction.

The sharing of experience on new psychoactive substances and the creation and strengthening of the drug-related early warning system are additional key areas of cooperation between the parties.

The close sectoral cooperation between the EMCDDA and Georgia has been ongoing for years and the European agency makes a significant contribution to the promotion and development of a humane and evidence-based drug policy in the country.

The Georgian National Drug Observatory was established in January 2020 based on the order of the Minister of Justice, and it is analogous to the EMCDDA at the national level, which serves to promote the study, assessment and evidence analysis of the drug situation in the country.

The EMCDDA delegation will leave Georgia on September 15.

The candidate for the membership of the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice of the Council of Europe (CEPEJ) and the Consultative Council of European Judges of the Council of Europe (CCJE) by the quota of Georgia has been selected.

The selection competition for candidates to be submitted to the CEPEJ and the CCJE was held in two stages in accordance with the rules of the competition approved by the orders of the Minister of Justice of Georgia No. 848 and No. 850 of July 27, 2022. In the first stage, from July 28 to August 6, 2022, 6 candidates submitted applications for membership in the CEPEJ in the public competition announced on the official website of the Public Service Bureau of the State Public Service Agency (www.hr.gov.ge), and four candidates for the CCJE participated in the competition. After the selection of the applications submitted by the contestants, 3 candidates advanced to the interview stage and as a result of the two-stage competition, the candidate selection commission for membership in the CEPEJ and the CCJE selected the candidacy of Ketevan Tsintsadze, judge of the Supreme Court of Georgia, as a candidate to be presented by the quota of Georgia.

Ketevan Tsintsadze will be nominated to the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice of the Council of Europe (CEPEJ) and the Consultative Council of European Judges of the Council of Europe (CCJE) by the quota of Georgia for a period of five years.

The CEPEJ works within the framework of its activities to improve the effectiveness and functioning of the justice systems in the countries, as well as to comply with the standards and legal instruments of the Council of Europe; The purpose of the activities of the commission member experts is to make a significant contribution to the process of implementation of the commission's functions and to support the effective implementation of justice systems in the member states of the Council of Europe. The CCJE member judges work in the direction of promoting the rule of law, the introduction of European standards, especially the independence, impartiality and competence of judges, as well as the effective performance of their judicial activities.

In accordance with the domestic procedure of conducting a competition for the purpose of selecting a candidate at the national level, the candidate for membership in the CEPEJ and the CCJE was selected by the competition commission, which was composed of representatives of the Ministry of Justice of Georgia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, the Supreme Court of Georgia and the Supreme Council of Justice of Georgia.

It should be noted that the Minister of Justice of Georgia was given the authority to determine the rules and procedure for the selection of candidates from Georgia to international courts, as well as to international organizations working on human rights and legal issues, by the resolution of the Government of Georgia No. 234. It is significant that with the adoption of this resolution, transparent procedures for the selection of candidates to be submitted from Georgia to international organizations have been established, within the framework of which the candidates will be selected as a result of an open competition.

More than 100,000 residents of Varketili-Vazisubani will be able to use up to 470 services of the Public Service Hall in the new branch opened today in the building of Hualing Group. Opening the branch in the shopping center is a good example of successful cooperation between the state and the private sector, which significantly saves time and money of the population;

Increasing the availability of state services is one of the priorities of the Ministry of Justice. Justice Minister, Rati Bregadze opened the Varketili branch of the Public Service Hall together with his deputies. The Minister met the employees, got acquainted with the working process and received information about the needs of the customers.

The Varketili Public Service Hall has started operating at full capacity since September 1 and offers customers the highest quality services typical of the Public Service Hall. The new branch will help to manage and redistribute customer flows from the central Tbilisi branch, and optimize waiting and service time.

About 45 employees have been employed in the new branch. In addition to the central office of the Public Service Hall in Tbilisi, there are already two branches of the Public Service Hall in Varketili and Gldani.

The performance of the play - Angels Fly Over the Prison was held today in the Kote Marjanishvili State Drama Theater with the participation of convicts. 19 convicts participate in this one-act play. The script, direction, props, artistic decoration and posters belong to the convicts themselves. The performance was staged in Penitentiary No. 5 (Women’s Prison).

In the process of working on the play, the convicts had the full support of the management of the penitentiary service, as this is part of their re-socialization and rehabilitation program. The play itself is based on the idea that the convict, like any other person, should be able to start life with a clean slate after making a mistake. The process of working on the play was a kind of way for each participating convict to understand that through overcoming internal difficulties they will be able to draw experience from their mistakes that will help them plan their lives better. Angels Fly Over the Prison has already been performed on the stage of the Sandro AkhmeteliState Drama Theater;

Some of the convicts participating in the first performance have already left the penitentiary and were replaced by other convicts. The performance itself, as well as the process of working on it, is a kind of rehearsal for returning to society for convicts. Before the performance, an exhibition of handicrafts made by convicts was organized in the lobby of the Marjanishvili Theater.

The performance was attended by Minister of Justice, Rati Bregadze, the Deputy Ministers of Justice, Minister of Education and Science, Mikheil Chkhenkeli, who cooperates with the Ministry of Justice within the framework of the "Digital University" project, members of the legislative authority, representatives of the LEPLs of the Ministry of Justice and members of the Patriarchate.

The indicated competition will be held in accordance with the rules of the competition approved by the order of the Minister of Justice of Georgia No. 852 of August 23, 2022. The Minister of Justice of Georgia has been granted the authority to determine the rules and procedure for the selection of candidates from Georgia to be submitted to international courts, as well as to international organizations working on human rights and legal issues and their bodies, by the Resolution No. 234 of the Government of Georgia. It should be noted that before the adoption of this resolution, there was no unified approach to the selection rules and procedures of candidates to be submitted from Georgia in international organizations; The purpose of granting this authority to the Minister of Justice is the effective and timely fulfillment of international obligations to Georgia, and the selection and nomination of a candidate in the above-mentioned bodies impartially and in accordance with international standards.

The participation of representatives of thematic agencies is envisaged in the composition of the candidate selection commission.

The selected candidate will act individually, independently and impartially within the framework of his activities in the above-mentioned body. Competition requirements are posted at the following address:

Candidate for membership of the Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Being (GRETA) https://www.hr.gov.ge/JobProvider/UserOrgVaks/Details/73028?active=1

The cooperation document envisions a new platform for cooperation between the Ministry of Justice and the Academy of Sciences. The parties will develop and implement joint scientific-research, educational and legal projects, organize conferences, symposiums, seminars, round tables and public discussions; Scientific works will be published in the magazine Matsne of the National Academy of Sciences and the magazine Iustitia of the Ministry of Justice.

The memorandum was signed by Minister of Justice. Rati Bregadze and President of the National Academy of Sciences, Giorgi Kvesitadze.

The deepening of cooperation with the Academy of Sciences is another step to promote the law-making process based on scientific conclusions and analytics, which is a priority direction of the strategy of the Ministry of Justice for 2022-2024.

For this purpose, the Ministry of Justice has already implemented a number of activities:

- A bilingual legal magazine Iustitia was founded, two issues of which are already available;

- A scientific-advisory council was created at the Ministry of Justice and staffed with prominent experts in various fields, which will develop draft laws, concepts, conclusions and opinions to be submitted to the Minister of Justice;

- Bilateral cooperation documents were also signed with authorized higher education institutions in Georgia.

The cooperation document envisions a new platform for cooperation between the Ministry of Justice and the Academy of Sciences. The parties will develop and implement joint scientific-research, educational and legal projects, organize conferences, symposiums, seminars, round tables and public discussions; Scientific works will be published in the magazine Matsne of the National Academy of Sciences and the magazine Iustitia of the Ministry of Justice.

The memorandum was signed by Minister of Justice. Rati Bregadze and President of the National Academy of Sciences, Giorgi Kvesitadze.

The deepening of cooperation with the Academy of Sciences is another step to promote the law-making process based on scientific conclusions and analytics, which is a priority direction of the strategy of the Ministry of Justice for 2022-2024.

For this purpose, the Ministry of Justice has already implemented a number of activities:

- A bilingual legal magazine Iustitia was founded, two issues of which are already available;

- A scientific-advisory council was created at the Ministry of Justice and staffed with prominent experts in various fields, which will develop draft laws, concepts, conclusions and opinions to be submitted to the Minister of Justice;

- Bilateral cooperation documents were also signed with authorized higher education institutions in Georgia.