Georgia’s Parliament has approved in the first reading, under an expedited procedure, amendments to the Law on Mental Health and related legislation, with 78 votes in favor. The changes aim to bring the legislation into line with an April 29, 2026, Constitutional Court ruling. The amendments are being fast-tracked because the provisions declared unconstitutional will become invalid on November 1, 2026.
Under the proposed changes, special commissions at psychiatric institutions will review the grounds for compulsory psychiatric treatment every month, instead of once a year. Commission decisions concerning both compulsory and involuntary psychiatric treatment will be appealable through administrative proceedings. Appeals must be filed within 48 hours of the decision being delivered, and the court must review them within 72 hours.
The amendments also introduce automatic judicial review every six months of decisions concerning compulsory psychiatric treatment. Psychiatric institution administrations will submit the commission’s findings and relevant documentation to the court, which will assess whether the grounds for treatment remain valid. A first-instance court decision on the commission’s findings may also be appealed to a higher court, whose ruling will be final.
Irakli Shatakishvili, First Deputy Chair of Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee, presented the amendments, saying they implement the standards established by the Constitutional Court and strengthen patients’ rights. Treating doctors will retain the authority to refer a case to the commission at any time if they believe a patient has recovered before the end of the prescribed treatment period.
