Head of the Department - Gvantsa Chkhaidze
Acting Deputy Head of the Department - Vano Kizilashvili
Department of Criminal Justice - structural unit of the Public Defender’s Office - was established on January 14, 2015 as a result of the reorganization of the structural unit of the Office - Department of Justice. According to the order of the Public Defender of Georgia, the structural unit of the Public Defender’s Office - Department of Justice, was formed into two departments, taking into account the directions of the given structural unit:
- Department of Criminal Justice;
- Department of Civil, Political, Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
When exercising its powers, the Department of Criminal Justice shall be guided by the Constitution of Georgia, relevant international conventions, treaties and agreements, domestic legislation, Organic Law of Georgia on the Public Defender of Georgia and the Statute of the Public Defender’s Office.
The objective of the Department of Criminal Justice is to assist the Public Defender of Georgia in protecting rights and freedoms during investigation of criminal cases and trials, as well as at places of detention, imprisonment and deprivation of liberty. In order to achieve this goal, the Department of Criminal Justice examines human rights violations on the basis of individual applications/complaints received by the Public Defender’s Office and/or on the initiative of the Public Defender of Georgia.
The functions of the Department of Criminal Justice:
- Examine applications/complaints received by the Public Defender’s Office relating to violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms and draft reports/recommendations/proposals, in particular:
- Relating to the violation of civil and political rights, if the applicant argues that the action or an act of a public institution violated his/her respective right;
- Relating to the violation economic, social and cultural rights, if the applicant argues that the action or an act of a public institution violated his/her respective right;
- If the applicant argues that the rights and freedoms enshrined in legislation of Georgia were violated during court proceedings (in civil and administrative cases);
- Relating to the enforcement of judicial acts, if the applicant argues that his/her rights and legitimate interests were violated by the relevant body;
- On other issues that fall under the competence of the Public Defender and do not belong to the functions of another structural unit;
- Thoroughly examine an issue that falls under the competence of the Department, as well as the relevant circumstances;
- Select timely, qualified and substantiated response forms and monitor their implementation;
- Conduct systemic research and analysis on matters that fall under its competence;
- Analyze legislation and draft laws according to the directions of the Department and draft recommendations/proposals;
- Promote public awareness-raising activities to popularize civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights and freedoms in Georgia.