On November 3-4, 2023, Judge Ketevan Meskhishvili, from the Tbilisi Court of Appeals, conducted a training session focused on children's rights for student-paralegals from Kutaisi and Adjara. A total of 54 student-paralegals gained valuable insights into the concepts and approaches to determining the best interests of a child, as well as the pertinent factors involved.

The training was made possible with USAID Rule of Law Program support to the Legal Aid Service of Georgia under the informational campaign “Make Justice Accessible for all – Paralegals Initiative.”

In her presentation, Judge Meskhishvili placed strong emphasis on the fundamental freedoms and rights of children as enshrined in the Georgian Code on the Rights of the Child. She also explored the legal mechanisms in place to protect and support these rights.

Judge Meskhishvili underscored the importance of affording children a voice within the judicial process noting that this doesn't necessarily entail their direct participation in every case, but rather ensuring their perspective is adequately represented, either through legal representatives or by the children themselves.

During the training session, paralegals engaged in discussions covering various aspects of child rights, including cases of discrimination against children, the importance of equality among children, the best interests of the child, and the child's right to inheritance. The discourse also delved into a case from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) involving a child's separation from the family due to poverty.

This initiative empowers future paralegals by equipping them with the necessary knowledge and skills to provide accessible legal assistance to their respective communities.