Stephen M. Haykin, Mission Director for the U.S. Agency for International Development's (USAID) programs in Georgia, will open a Public Forum on Fostering Democratic and Transparent Judicial Administration held by the Coalition for an Independent and Transparent Judiciary on July 6, at 1:00 p.m. at the Sheraton Metechi Palace Hotel.
The forum will focus on the governance issues within the judiciary and on the role the administrative and representative bodies play in the judicial governance process. The forum participants will also follow up on the remaining problems in the area of court transparency and appointment, transfer, disciplinary responsibility of judges, the topics that were discussed at the previous Coalition forums. The goal of the forum is to continue long-term constructive dialogue between the government and civil society to ensure that the existing problems in the area of judicial administration are successfully resolved.
Representatives of the judicial, executive, and legislative branches of the government, as well as journalists, international donor organizations, and experts in the field are expected to attend. This is the fifth in a series organized by the Coalition, which aims to strengthen the capacity of legal professional associations, legal rights NGOs, business associations, and the media in monitoring relevant judicial practices and advocating for an independent judiciary.
The forum and the Coalition are supported by the U.S. Government as a part of its ongoing initiatives to support democracy and the rule of law in Georgia through USAID.
