Ministry of Justice (Georgia)
Encyclopedia
The Ministry of Justice of Georgia is a governmental agency within the Cabinet of Georgia
in charge of regulating activities in the justice system, overseeing the public prosecutor, maintaining the legal system and public order, protection of the public and instituting law reforms in Georgia
. The ministry is headed by Zurab Adeishvili
.
(Chamber) which included clergy, aristocracy and the commons. This institution was in charge of issuing important legal documents, such as Samparavtmdzebnelo Law (Criminal Law), Bagrat Kurapalati Law, Giorgi V Law, Royal Court Regulations, as well as translation and adaptation of international documents such as Law of Moses, Greek and Roman-Syrian laws, etc. A single collection of old documents was preserved and saved during the reign of Vakhtang VI in the beginning of the 18th century. The collection is known as the Book of Laws of Vakhtang VI (issued in 1703-1709).
King Vakhtang’s Dasturlamal (the Book of Regulations) has survived to the present day. Composed in 1707-1709, it contains description of the statesmen and assignment of their duties, survey and census of the population, economy, revenues, taxes and property accounts, etc. The duties assumed by the present day Minister of Justice of Georgia were divided among a Chancellor, Chief Bookkeeper and Chief Mandaturi (supervisor).
Despite establishment of Russian rule over Georgia, Georgian laws continued to function until the beginning of the 20th century, when any practice of traditional judicial system was ceased upon occupation of Georgia by the Bolshevik
s in 1918.
The first Ministry of Justice of independent Georgian Republic
was established when the National Council of Georgia
adopted an Act of Independence of Georgia on May 26, 1918 which functioned up until annexation of Georgia to Soviet Russia in 1921. According to the act of October 11, 1918, a Codification Subdivision was formed at the Ministry of Justice taking over the codification of legislation and publishing of official issue "Collection of Laws and Resolutions of the Government".
After independence of Georgia was restored in 1991, the ministry was re-established.
(in 2004); organizational maintenance of effective governing system, as well as of State Commission of territorial settlement reform and activities of its workgroups (in 2006).
Main functions of the ministry are protection of state interests at national and international courts and tribunals; identification of standards of active regulatory acts; bringing Georgian legislation in accordance with international guidelines;
formation of the State Register; adjustment of emigration and migration procedures; regulation of Notary Functions, Public Registry Services, Civil Registry Services; maintaining State Archives; enforcement of court decisions; arrangement of the state representation at the European Court of Human Rights
.
Cabinet of Georgia
The Cabinet of Georgia is an executive council of government ministers in Georgia. It is headed by the Prime Minister of Georgia. In the cases of utmost importance, the meetings may be led by the President of Georgia . The first Cabinet of Georgia was formed by Noe Zhordania in the Democratic...
in charge of regulating activities in the justice system, overseeing the public prosecutor, maintaining the legal system and public order, protection of the public and instituting law reforms in Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
. The ministry is headed by Zurab Adeishvili
Zurab Adeishvili
Zurab Adeishvili is a Georgian lawyer and politician, currently the Minister of Justice of Georgia since November 2008.-Early life:Adeishvili was born in the village of Mtisdziri in Qvareli district, then-Soviet Georgia...
.
History
The development of the judicial system in Georgia dates back to Pharnavazi era when legislative functions were regulated by the People's Assembly and the Council of Elders. In 9th-10th centuries, the system was assigned to a state body called DarbaziDarbazi
Darbazi is the simplest form of Georgian folk architecture with a long history behind. It is a rustic house, the central feature of which is a pyramidal cupola-shaped, stepped vault – made of hewn logs and beams – on pillars, with a central opening at the top which serves as both a window and...
(Chamber) which included clergy, aristocracy and the commons. This institution was in charge of issuing important legal documents, such as Samparavtmdzebnelo Law (Criminal Law), Bagrat Kurapalati Law, Giorgi V Law, Royal Court Regulations, as well as translation and adaptation of international documents such as Law of Moses, Greek and Roman-Syrian laws, etc. A single collection of old documents was preserved and saved during the reign of Vakhtang VI in the beginning of the 18th century. The collection is known as the Book of Laws of Vakhtang VI (issued in 1703-1709).
King Vakhtang’s Dasturlamal (the Book of Regulations) has survived to the present day. Composed in 1707-1709, it contains description of the statesmen and assignment of their duties, survey and census of the population, economy, revenues, taxes and property accounts, etc. The duties assumed by the present day Minister of Justice of Georgia were divided among a Chancellor, Chief Bookkeeper and Chief Mandaturi (supervisor).
Despite establishment of Russian rule over Georgia, Georgian laws continued to function until the beginning of the 20th century, when any practice of traditional judicial system was ceased upon occupation of Georgia by the Bolshevik
Bolshevik
The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists , derived from bol'shinstvo, "majority") were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903....
s in 1918.
The first Ministry of Justice of independent Georgian Republic
Democratic Republic of Georgia
The Democratic Republic of Georgia , 1918–1921, was the first modern establishment of a Republic of Georgia.The DRG was created after the collapse of the Russian Empire that began with the Russian Revolution of 1917...
was established when the National Council of Georgia
National Council of Georgia
The National Council of Georgia was the first delegated legislative body formed by Georgia's major political parties and social organizations on November 19, 1917, during the Russian Revolution...
adopted an Act of Independence of Georgia on May 26, 1918 which functioned up until annexation of Georgia to Soviet Russia in 1921. According to the act of October 11, 1918, a Codification Subdivision was formed at the Ministry of Justice taking over the codification of legislation and publishing of official issue "Collection of Laws and Resolutions of the Government".
After independence of Georgia was restored in 1991, the ministry was re-established.
Structure
The ministry is headed by the minister aided by three deputy ministers. The ministry carries out its activities in accordance with the resolution enacted by the Presidential Decree No. 541 dated November 7, 2008. As of January 2000, the Ministry of Justice acquired the most important competences, such as governing the penitentiary system and its organizational management, functions of Public and Civil Register (in 2004), governing State ArchivesNational Archives of Georgia
The National Archives of Georgia is the legal entity of public law under the Ministry of Justice of Georgia.The National Archives holds written documents, film documents, photos, audio records, totally more than five million exhibits....
(in 2004); organizational maintenance of effective governing system, as well as of State Commission of territorial settlement reform and activities of its workgroups (in 2006).
Main functions of the ministry are protection of state interests at national and international courts and tribunals; identification of standards of active regulatory acts; bringing Georgian legislation in accordance with international guidelines;
formation of the State Register; adjustment of emigration and migration procedures; regulation of Notary Functions, Public Registry Services, Civil Registry Services; maintaining State Archives; enforcement of court decisions; arrangement of the state representation at the European Court of Human Rights
European Court of Human Rights
The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg is a supra-national court established by the European Convention on Human Rights and hears complaints that a contracting state has violated the human rights enshrined in the Convention and its protocols. Complaints can be brought by individuals or...
.
Ministers of Democratic Republic of Georgia (1918-1921)
- Shalva Aleksi-MeskhishviliShalva Aleksi-MeskhishviliShalva Alexi-Meskhishvili was a Georgian jurist and politician who served as Minister of Justice of the Democratic Republic of Georgia from 1918 to 1919....
, 1918-1919 - Razhden ArsenidzeRazhden ArsenidzeRazhden Arsenidze was a Georgian jurist, journalist, and politician.He was involved with the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party and sided with its Menshevik wing in 1903...
, 1919-1921 - Evgeni GegechkoriEvgeni GegechkoriEvgeni Gegechkori was a Georgian politician and Social Democratic revolutionary.He first entered the leftist student movement in 1903 during his studies at the Moscow University and soon joined the Menshevik wing of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party...
, 1921
Ministers of Republic of Georgia (1990-present)
- John KhetsurianiJohn KhetsurianiJohn Khetsuriani is a Georgian lawyer.Khetsuriani was born on 23 November 1951, in Lailashi, in the Tsageri region. He received his secondary education in Kutaisi, before graduating from Tbilisi State University in law and economics...
, 1990-1992 - Konstantin Kemularia, 1992-1993
- Tedo Ninidze, 1993-1998
- Lado Chanturia, 1998-1999
- John Khetsuriani, 1999-2000
- Mikheil SaakashviliMikheil SaakashviliMikheil Saakashvili is a Georgian politician, the third and current President of Georgia and leader of the United National Movement Party.Involved in the national politics since 1995, Saakashvili became president on 25 January 2004 after President Eduard Shevardnadze resigned in a November 2003...
, 2000-2001 - Roland Giligashvili, 2001-2003
- Zurab Adeishvili, 2003-2004
- George Papuashvili, 2004-2005
- Konstantin Kemularia, 2004-2005
- Gia KavtaradzeGia KavtaradzeGia Kavtaradze is the member of the Cabinet of Georgia and the Minister of Justice in the nation of Georgia. A lawyer by training, he has practiced law in Georgia, and worked in a series of NGO and Government jobs. He fluently speaks Russian, English and Georgian.-Biography:Kavtaradze was born in...
, 2005-2007 - Eka Tkeshelashvili, 2007-2008
- Nika GvaramiaNika GvaramiaNikoloz "Nika" Gvaramia is a Georgian lawyer and politician who had held posts of Minister of Justice and Minister of Education and Science.-Early life:...
, January 31, 2008 - October 27, 2008 - Zurab Adeishvili, November 2, 2008 - incumbent