On December 14, 2023, the Mediators Association of Georgia (MAG), supported by the USAID Rule of Law Program, organized its second bench-bar meeting between judges and mediators based in Tbilisi.

The gathering brought together four judges from the Tbilisi City Court and Tbilisi Court of Appeals, along with ten mediators. The primary focus of the meeting was to discuss the best interests of the child and challenges related to family disputes during the mediation process.

The event commenced with welcome remarks from Irakli Kandashvili, MAG Chairman, and Irakli Gelovani, ADR Advisor at the USAID Rule of Law Program. Mr. Kandashvili emphasized the significance of such meetings, highlighting its role in fostering collaboration, improving understanding, and enhancing the efficiency of the justice system.

During the meeting, discussions covered topics such as, the types of cases automatically referred to mediation by judges (e.g., family, property, and inheritance disputes), nuances of disputes involving children, and the importance of involving psychologists in such cases. The possibility of holding joint information meetings with all parties before a case is officially transferred to mediation and the need for public awareness were also discussed.

Tbilisi City Court Judge Khatuna Jinoria, an active supporter of mediation, shared her observation that every fifth case referred to mediation ends with a settlement between the parties. She emphasized the need for more active efforts to make lawyers advocates of mediation.

The discussion concluded with participants outlining several suggestions for improving mediation practice, such as:

• to better safeguard children's interests during mediation, explore targeted training programs for mediators;
• when setting a date for the first court hearing, judges should encourage parties to attempt mediation before that hearing. This would motivate parties to engage in the mediation process, but also provide assurance that the case will be heard by a judge on a specified date if mediation fails;
• arrange more bench-bar meetings involving lawyers, as well as training mediators specifically on dealing with cases involving children.