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Georgia Prospects for Reform
All parties in Georgia agreed that judicial reform depended
on passage of a new constitution delineating the separation of
powers. If such a constitution prescribed a strong executive
system, the head of government would appoint Supreme Court
judges; if a parliamentary system were called for, parliament
would make the court appointments. In early 1994, however, the
constitution was the subject of prolonged political wrangling
that showed no sign of abating. At that point, experts found a
second fundamental obstacle to judicial reform in a national
psychology that had no experience with democratic institutions
and felt most secure with a unitary, identifiable government
power. Reform was also required in the training of lawyers and
judges, who under the old system entered the profession through
the sponsorship of political figures rather than on their own
merit.
Data as of March 1994
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