Degnan once again calls on Parliament to suspend the process of appointing judges

US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan once again calls on Parliament to suspend the process of selecting judges for the Supreme Court until there is a broad, inclusive and multiparty debate on the issue in order to improve the judiciary.

"Georgia's political leaders have also agreed on an ambitious plan to reform the judiciary, accompanied by a broad, inclusive, multiparty process. The 19th April agreement is a sort of map to accomplish this, this means the cessation of the appointment of judges until such broad and inclusive consultations to how the judiciary system should look takes place. To this end, I can only hope that debates and consultations will be held within the groups as soon as possible and with every interested side participating.

The High Council of Justice has nominated judges, and it is now up to Parliament to support the agreement reached by political leaders on April 19, which explicitly calls for a halt to the Supreme Court's selection process. Parliament has the power to stop this process," Degnan said.