Mediators Association of Georgia (MAG), with the support of the USAID Rule of Law Program, convened a bench bar meeting in Telavi attended by 20 individuals, including judges, clerks, and mediators from various courts across the Kakheti region - Telavi, Kvareli, Gurjaani, and Sighnaghi. The bench bar was part of MAG’s effort to increase collaboration between the judiciary and those promoting the use of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms in Georgia.

The meeting commenced with welcoming remarks from Irakli Kandashvili, MAG Chairman, Irakli Gelovani, USAID Rule of Law Program ADR Advisor, and Shalva Chkadua, the Rector of Telavi State University. Marine Tsertsvadze, the Head of Telavi District Court, Giorgi Mtiulishvili, Gurjaani District Court Judge, and Alexander Lomidze, Judge at Sagarejo and Dedoplistskaro Magistrate Courts actively participated in the discussions.

Discussion focused on the practice of referring court cases to mediation. Participants reported improvement in this area. The Kakheti regional courts referred 15 cases to newly established mediation centers since December 2023. This development was attributed to the workshop on case reference to mediation delivered by the Program in November 2023. 

Participants highlighted the absence of a mediation center in Sighnagi, noting that judges lacked specific guidelines on which center to refer cases to in another district court where such a facility exists. In response, Mr. Kandashvili proposed specific rules for selecting the appropriate mediation center, suggesting that cases be referred to the nearest mediation center if parties do not specify a preference.

Ms. Tsertsvadze emphasized the significance of mediation, stating her preference for referring cases to mediation even when she perceives the potential for resolving a case through her efforts. The issue of tracking/registering referred cases to mediation was also discussed, highlighting the need to establish a common practice in this regard.

Participants discussed online mediation, with mediators from Telavi, Sighnagi, and Gurjaani sharing successful experiences. The complexity of settling financial disputes, particularly small loan/credit issues, compared to family or labor disputes was noted.