Eleven Georgian judges writing benchbooks on Freedom of Expression Litigation, Property Rights of Women, and Rights of the Child in Civil and Administrative Procedure gathered in Borjomi on April 19-21.

Benchbooks, often regarded as indispensable reference manuals, offer judges quick access to legal insights across various topics.

The recent meeting provided participants with the opportunity to present their works in progress and receive feedback from their peers, as well as from Judge Timothy Baland, a U.S. judge from Minnesota participating in judicial exchange activities under the USAID Rule of Law Program.

The meeting started with the presentation of Judge Baland, with the extensive experience working on benchbooks. He emphasized the importance of these manuals being user-friendly and stressed that benchbooks should enable readers to swiftly locate applicable laws and provide a step-by-step guide for procedures, addressing all central issues concisely.

The participating judges agreed on the next steps of the working process and expressed their enthusiasm for creating benchbooks. These products aim to serve Georgian judges by offering fast and easy access to relevant legal sources on freedom of expression, women’s rights, and children’s procedural rights.

The inception of the benchbook development process traces back to September 2023 when 19 judges from all instance courts embarked on the task. These judges, also members of the Rule of Law Practice Groups supported by the Program, focused on the critical subjects of Freedom of Expression, Women's Rights, and Children's Rights. Throughout this process, they received support from a Program-hired legal researcher tasked with identifying relevant international or foreign standards and best practices.

Over the preceding months, the judges met several times to discuss ongoing work, ensuring alignment on issues of style and formatting.