2026 enlargement report: The independence and impartiality of the judicial system of Georgia remain seriously undermined, the disproportionate sentences inflicted on protesters raise concerns that the judiciary is being instrumentalised to enforce a system of repression
For the third consecutive year, there was backsliding in Georgia in the areas of the judiciary and fundamental rights, according to the 2026 enlargement report published by the European Commission.
The report states that the independence, impartiality, and integrity of the judiciary remain seriously undermined.
“Georgia remains at an early stage of preparation and there was backsliding during thereporting period. No reforms were undertaken to address the European Commission andVenice Commission recommendations regarding a thorough and comprehensive reform ofthe judiciary. In particular, Georgia has yet to carry out a comprehensive reform of the High Council of Justice (HCJ) and the Supreme Court (SC) in line with the recommendations. Theindependence, impartiality and integrity of the judicial system remain seriously undermined.
The amendments to the judiciary’s legal framework adopted in December 2025 furtherundermine the independence and integrity of the judicial system and exacerbate risks ofjudicial capture. The harsh and disproportionate sentences inflicted on protesters raiseconcerns that the judiciary is being instrumentalised to enforce a system of repression.
The Commission’s recommendations from last year were not implemented and remainvalid.
In the coming year, Georgia needs to:
align the Law on common courts with Venice Commission recommendations on thepowers of the HCJ concerning transfers of judges, as well as the evaluation andselection process for Supreme Court judges (including effective appeal, qualifications of Supreme Court judges and an anti-deadlock mechanism);
initiate a broader reform of the judiciary, in particular to reform the HCJ in line withVenice Commission recommendations, addressing restrictions on the reappointment ofits members, notably by fixed non-renewable terms. Moreover, establish a system ofextraordinary integrity checks, with the involvement of international experts with adecisive role in the process, for candidates and for people currently appointed to allleading positions in the judiciary, in particular the HCJ, the Supreme Court and Common Court presidents;
align the Law on the Prosecutor General’s Office with European standards following therecommendations of the Venice Commission, OECD and the EU-funded Technical Assistance and Information Exchange (TAIEX) peer review on the functioning of thejustice sector and the fight against organised crime carried out in May 2023”, reads the report.
