"I categorically deny the existence of any clan or group that controls the judicial system," said Gizo Ubilava, a candidate for the position of Supreme Court judge in Georgia, during a session of the Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee. Today, three judges selected by the Supreme Council of Justice are being heard by the committee.
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Anri Okhanashvili, the chairman of the committee considering Gizo Ubilava and a deputy of Georgian Dream, asked a judge from the Tbilisi City Court's criminal law board why the term "clan" was not associated with the court until 2012. He noted that after 2012, this terminology has been used to "attack the court."
"There is no clan. Unequivocally. You mentioned it correctly - they are really trying, because over these years they have not been able to provide a single fact to support their claims of a clan.There is no clan in the court. It is incomprehensible to me that people shout so baselessly about the supposed existence of a clan in the court. This harms the system within the country.
Our society is intelligent and realizes that there isn't even one example to justify calling it a clan. The idea that there is one team controlling the court is beyond me. I categorically deny such a fact and cannot agree with those who claim, without basis, that some clan or team controls the court. In my opinion, this notion was developed after 2012; otherwise, I cannot explain it any other way,” said the judge.
Anri Okhanashvili also inquired whether there was any influence from government representatives that affected his decision.
"There has been no communication, hence no need to discuss any pressure. This aspect is also regulated by law. Regardless of whether it was the government, another individual, or a party, I would promptly inform the court chairman, provide a report, and respond appropriately, documenting the incident.
There has been no communication from anyone, no pressure, nor excessive inquiries about my intended actions in any specific case,I have not been informed by my colleagues that such an incident has been recorded," stated Gizo Ubilava.
The Supreme Council of Justice nominated Gizo Ubilava, Badri Shonia, and Gocha Jeiranashvili to Parliament for election to three vacant positions in the Supreme Court. Until 2019, Gizo Ubilava served as a prosecutor, and since 2020, he has been a judge at the Tbilisi City Court.
In 2022, Gizo Ubilava was among the five judges who stood in solidarity with Judge Nika Gvaramia in the case of Lasha Chkhikvadze and declined a trip to the USA. "Our colleagues traveling with us suspected that Judge Chkhikvadze was pressured regarding a specific decision. Therefore, we chose not to go. We felt morally obligated to decline this visit," Ubilava explained at that time.
In November 2023, the Supreme Council of Justice appointed Gizo Ubilava as a judge for life on the criminal law board of the Tbilisi City Court.
