Zaza Khatiashvili, lawyer and former chairman of the Georgian Bar Association, stated in an interview with TV program Analytics that subordinating the association to the Ministry of Justice would constitute a “second step” with potentially serious consequences for the legal profession.
Commenting on amendments to the Law on Legal Aid, Khatiashvili warned about the risks these changes could pose. “The first step is to get lawyers accustomed to the idea that accountability to the Prime Minister is not problematic. The second step will be bringing the Bar under the Ministry of Justice. This was the case during the Soviet era, when the Minister of Justice supervised the Bar. It happens in Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus… For the past two weeks, I have been saying the next step is to bring the Georgian Bar under the Ministry of Justice. If I am lying, why hasn’t a single official issued a statement?” Khatiashvili said.
He added that he spoke directly with the current Bar Association chairman, Irakli Kandasashvili, who assured him that such a move would not happen, warning that the Bar would strike if it did.
“I support the chairman; he is a very decent person and has started well. I see the work he is doing, helping about 20 lawyers who have faced abusive actions. Since I have more experience and anticipate that the Bar might be subordinated to the Ministry of Justice, I called the chairman. He told me that if this happens - if the contours of such a decision emerge - even a statement is made - he will mobilize the entire Bar to strike,” Khatiashvili said.
The amendments to the Law on Legal Aid make the Legal Aid Service accountable to the Prime Minister, unlike the current law, which stipulates that the service is independent and reports only to Parliament.
