Workshop by OSCE/ODIHR and Council of Europe highlights importance of adequate and effective evaluation of judges' work in Georgia

Tools and methods for an effective evaluation of judges’ performance were the focus of a workshop organized jointly by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Council of Europe, within the context of their Support to the Judicial Reform project, in Tbilisi on 14 and 15 November 2017.

The workshop, implemented in co-operation with Georgia’s Supreme Court and High Council of Justice, gathered 32 judges and Council members and staff, including the Chairperson of the Supreme Court and the Secretary of the Council. The participants included an equal number of men and women.

They benefited from contributions by ODIHR and Council of Europe experts, as well as expert practitioners, both women and men, from Latvia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia and the United Kingdom.

“Adequate evaluation of judges’ work is an essential component of building trust and confidence in the judiciary, and I am glad to see that our Georgian colleagues have such a strong commitment to this issue,” said Ghenadie Barba, Chief of the ODIHR Rule of Law Unit.

Cristian Urse, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Georgia, said: “Through this workshop, we aim to contribute to efforts by the High Council of Justice to improve mechanisms for evaluating the work of judges, as part of Georgia’s Judicial Reform Strategy, which will certainly benefit from more thorough and transparent assessment instruments.”

Participants discussed the purpose of evaluating judges’ work, the ways to balance quantitative and qualitative criteria, and the sources of data for evaluation. They also took stock of international standards, methods and good practices, and explored the challenges and potential risks associated with this task.

This workshop is part of ODIHR’s work to strengthen judicial independence and accountability in Georgia. The Support to the Judicial Reform project works to support the implementation of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Georgia 2016–2019.