The Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights Protection and Civil Integration will consider today, at the first reading, a legislative package that would fundamentally change the institutional status of Georgia’s Legal Aid Service, making it accountable to the Prime Minister.
Under the current legislation, the Legal Aid Service operates as an independent body, is not subordinated to any branch of government, and is accountable solely to Parliament. The proposed amendments, however, would place the Service under the authority of the executive branch, significantly altering its governance and oversight mechanisms.
Based on the draft law, the Legal Aid Service would become an institution accountable to the Prime Minister, rather than Parliament. The head of the Service would no longer submit an annual activity report to Parliament; instead, reporting obligations would shift to the Prime Minister. In addition, the Prime Minister would be granted the power to appoint and dismiss the Director of the Legal Aid Service.
The legislative package also proposes substantial changes to the procedure for appointing and dismissing the Director, as well as to the structure and composition of the Service’s governing collegial body — the Legal Aid Council.
Changes to the Legal Aid Council
Under the existing law, the Legal Aid Council consists of nine members, representing a balance of professional and institutional stakeholders:
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three members elected by the Executive Council of the Bar Association;
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three members appointed by the Public Defender (Ombudsman);
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one member elected by the Legal Aid Bureaus from among bureau lawyers;
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one member nominated by the Minister of Justice from among Ministry of Justice employees;
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one member appointed by the High Council of Justice from among its non-judge members.
The proposed amendments would reduce the Council from nine to seven members and significantly revise its composition. Under the bill submitted to Parliament, the new Council would include:
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two members — the Chairs of the Parliamentary Committees on Legal Issues and on Human Rights Protection and Civil Integration;
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one member — the Secretary of the High Council of Justice;
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one member — the Prosecutor General;
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one member — the Head of the Government Administration;
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one member — the Public Defender;
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one member — the Chair of the Bar Association.
The terms of Council members would be directly linked to the duration of their respective official positions, rather than fixed, independent mandates.
The draft law stipulates that the current Director of the Legal Aid Service will have their mandate terminated on May 1, 2026, with compensation equivalent to three months’ salary. The mandates of the existing members of the Legal Aid Council will terminate earlier, on April 1, 2026.
Following the formation of the new Council, it will be required, within two weeks, to select a candidate for Director of the Legal Aid Service and submit the nominee to the Prime Minister of Georgia for appointment.
The authors and initiators of the legislative package are members of the ruling party, Georgian Dream. Initiators claim that the proposed reforms aim to increase the effectiveness of the Legal Aid Service, strengthen administrative oversight, and improve coordination between the Service and the executive branch.
The proposed changes have already drawn attention due to their potential impact on the institutional independence of the Legal Aid Service, which plays a key role in ensuring access to justice for socially vulnerable groups.
