According to the information of the Ministry of Justice, “during the first 7 month in 2007 nearly 41 959 citizens were fined for taking ID cards with delay.” According to the Ministry, citizens are obligated to take ID cards within six month after s/he reaches 16 years. If a citizen violates the term s/he has to pay GEL 5 as a fine. The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) studied the issue and considers that the National Agency of Civil Registry fines citizens as per Article 185 of the Administrative Code of Offences, illegally.
2007-09-11 20:00 See moreIn 2007 the Parliament of Georgia plans adoption of the new Criminal Procedure Code by the second and the third hearings. The “present version” of the draft that has been elaborated since 2004 was adopted last summer at the first hearing. Since 2004 the draft changed considerably. Giorgi Chkheidze applies to the members of the Parliament with a letter asking to return the new Criminal Procedure Code to the initial version. Each member of the Parliament, the head of the Supreme Court, the General Prosecutor of Georgia, Parliamentary secretaries of the President and the Government and the secretary of the high council of justice received the letter. Chairman of the GYLA appeals to the Members of The Parliament
2007-09-02 20:00 See moreOn July 20 Tbilisi government adopted a decree (#15.22.419) on initiating of administrative proceeding with a view to reviewing some decrees issued by Tbilisi municipality, cabinet and Tbilisi government. Tbilisi government considers that, the decrees adopted in 1994-98 were issued by unauthorized agencies and should be invalidated. In case of invalidating the decrees citizens living in Tabukashvili str.#50 and other tens of proprietors will be deprived of the property right on their lands. The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association considers that Tbilisi government misinterprets the law and deprives the citizens of the property right. We are ready to assist the persons whose property right might be infringed by the Tbilisi government.
2007-07-29 20:00 See moreOn July 20 Tbilisi government adopted a decree (#15.22.419) on initiating of administrative proceeding with a view to reviewing some decrees issued by Tbilisi municipality, cabinet and Tbilisi government. Tbilisi government considers that, the decrees adopted in 1994-98 were issued by unauthorized agencies and should be invalidated. In case of invalidating the decrees citizens living in Tabukashvili str.#50 and other tens of proprietors will be deprived of the property right on their lands. The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association considers that Tbilisi government misinterprets the law and deprives the citizens of the property right. We are ready to assist the persons whose property right might be infringed by the Tbilisi government.
2007-07-29 20:00 See moreConstitutional complaint submitted by GYLA, (where GYLA represents Shalva Ramishvili) challenges constitutionality of Article 5, paragraph 2 of the Georgian Election Code. The disputed article deprives all the prisoners of the right to exercise their franchise. According to the applicable legislation they can neither vote nor submit their candidacy. If we consider that the Georgian Constitution provides for the principle of the proportional restriction of the rights. We deem it unconstitutional to restrict fundamental right; including the right to vote, even more than it is necessary in a democratic society. By the Constitutional complaint we demand to restore the right to exercise the active election right (the right to vote) with regard to the convicted prisoners who have committed misdemeanors. It is noteworthy, that in the case Hirsty v. the United Kingdom the European Court of Human Rights considered restriction of the active election right with regard to prisoners as violation of Article 3, Protocol 1 of the European Convention of Human Rights (right to free elections). Georgia is a party to the Protocol and therefore entitled to fulfill obligations envisaged by the protocol and the judgments pertaining thereto.
2007-07-22 20:00 See moreMr. President, On June 11, 2007 the Parliament of Georgia by the majority of votes adopted amendments to the Georgian law on common courts. The draft aims ensuring of judiciary independence and considers photo and video recording in a court building, as well as, of a court hearing in a court hall inadmissible, except when it is implemented by the judiciary.
2007-07-17 20:00 See moreMajority of Georgian population suffers lack of primary medical service for the absence of information and other reasons. On June 6-7 the coalition “Future without poverty” arranged a bus-tour in the West Georgia. Members of the coalition (NGOs: the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association, the Georgian Young Economists’ Association, Welfare Foundation and the International Organization Oxfam) met the local population and introduced them the state healthcare programs and the procedures of registering socially vulnerable persons in a united data bases. On July 6, the coalition visited Kutaisi and on July 7 it visited the Khulo region. Besides submitting of the information the Coalition also disseminated information booklets and shirts with the Coalition logos. The population expressed great interest. As it turned out majority either was not informed or contained incomplete information on the state healthcare programs and on the procedure of registration in the unified data bases of socially vulnerable families. On July 7, members of the Coalition met the doctors from Khulo region and discussed the healthcare problems in Adjara region. In 2000 the Government of Georgia (together with 191 countries) undertook an obligation to reach UN millennium development goals by 2015, to eliminate poverty and to ensure available medical service. On June 7,2007 (07.07.07) the half of the term expired and we try to find out what has been done during that period. The civil alliance “Future without poverty” unites 50 NGOs and hundreds of supporters that aims poverty elimination and fulfillment of Millennium Development Goals. We aim to activate Georgian citizens, so that to request by joint endeavors from the Georgian Government poverty elimination. “Future without poverty” is a member of the international coalition Global Call to Action against Poverty. In 2005 we joined the Coalition, since for the poverty:58 000 persons die daily in the world;One child dies every three seconds;Every 20 children in Georgia can not reach 5 years;Every second sick person has no access on necessary medicines.
2007-07-10 20:00 See moreOn July 10 in “Courtyard Marriot” GYLA arranged presentation of the books: “Freedom of Information in Georgia” and “Protection of personal data- experience of the foreign countries”. Representatives of the Parliament of Georgia, various state agencies, NGOs and mass media attended the presentation and discussed the problem with regard to freedom of information and protection of personal data. GYLA submitted its recommendations. After presenting the books, GYLA submitted to the audience) freedom of information data bases and electronic dictionary placed on the web-page (www.gyla.ge). Through the simple and flexible searching system all interested persons will have opportunity to acquire information on any public agency, in particular to find out: their address, telephone numbers and the identity of freedom of information officers. The electronic dictionary contains all significant terms with regard to freedom of information. It is noteworthy that both of the data bases are bilingual (Georgian-English), correspondingly they may be applied by both Georgian and foreigner interested persons.
2007-07-09 20:00 See moreOn June 28 Legal Education Assistance Foundation under the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association arranged a graduation ceremony and awarded diplomas and certificates to its graduates. At the beginning of the event Giorgi Chkheidze – GYLA chairman emphasized one of GYLA main statutory goals: development of lawyers’ professional skills and remembered his first steps in GYLA when the Legal Training and Information Center (LTIC)-an alternative source to receive legal education was just being established. GYLA chairman also talked on ten years’ experience of the Center and on successful graduates (who by GYLA recommendation were recruited by various public and private agencies), mentioned the necessity and main pre-conditions of founding Legal Education Assistance Foundation.
2007-07-01 20:00 See moreOn June 25, at the press conference the chairman of the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association: Giorgi Chkheidze and the lawyer of GYLA/Rustavi office discussed violations of the Georgian United Power Distribution company. For the last three months, nearly 71 citizens applied to GYLA/Rustavi office for legal assistance. Rustavi population declares that even though meters where installed everywhere, electricity company considers the figures unreal and imposes additional payments on population.
2007-07-01 20:00 See more