The USAID Rule of Law Program’s Batumi Rule of Law Hub organized public lectures in the Adjara region in honor of National Judges Day.

On May 17, 2023, eighty students and academics from Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University and Grigol Robakidze University’s Batumi branch had the privilege of meeting Constitutional Court of Georgia Chairman Merab Turava and American Judge Peggy Walker. The lecture focused on judicial law and its role in Georgian and American legal practice.

Judge Walker, who is conducting a long-term shadowing assignment in the Kutaisi region on behalf of the USAID Rule of Law Program, discussed the United States judicial system, emphasizing the differences between common law and civil law systems.

She noted, "The greatest difference between the civil and common law systems is the judges' ability to rely on the precedence of prior case decisions to reach an equitable decision. In short, the common law system provides more flexibility in applying the law to the facts of each case. While some view this as judicial law-making, judges in common law courts do not."

She also stated, "We have now entered an age of international commerce and communication transactions that have begun to blend the civil and common law systems. However, we must not lose focus on the need for judicial leadership, judicial scholarship, judicial integrity, and judicial independence as we undergo the inevitable changes resulting from the use of technology, increased international trade, changes in governance, and evolving cultural changes."

Chairman of the Constitutional Court Merab Turava discussed the European model of constitutional review and its key characteristics. The attendees learned about the evolving nature of constitutional review in Georgia and the relationship between the Georgian Constitutional Court and common courts.

After the speakers’ presentations, students and academic staff engaged in a lively Q&A session with the judges, addressing issues such as court backlog, effective case management strategies amidst present system challenges, and fostering public confidence in legal proceedings.

This event was held as part of the USAID Rule of Law Program’s week-long campaign commemorating Judge's Day.