President Names Two New Judges of Constitutional Court

President Giorgi Margvelashvili named Irina Imerlishvili, secretary of the National Security Council, and Giorgi Kverenchkhiladze, former parliamentary secretary of the President, as new judges of the Constitutional Court.

The two new nominations will replace outgoing Chairman of the Constitutional Court Giorgi Papuashvili and his deputy Konstantine Vardzelashvili, whose 10-year term in office will expire on September 30.

Two other seats in the 9-member Constitutional Court will also become vacant in late September, which should be filled by new judges appointed one by the Supreme Court and another one by the Parliament.

The outgoing Parliament is not expected to gather for a session anymore so it will be up to the next legislative body, which should be elected in the October 8 elections, to fill one vacancy in the Constitutional Court.

President Margvelashvili made nominations while speaking on September 10 at a conference, which is held in Batumi on the occasion of 20th anniversary of the Georgian Constitutional Court.

“[Imerlishvili and Kverenchkhiladze] are highly qualified jurists, but not only that – they are also very strong and principled people,” the President said.

Irina Imerlishvili has served as Secretary of the National Security Council (NSC) since 2013, after Margvelashvili was elected as the President. Before that she was elected in the Parliament in 2012 as member of the ruling GDDG party. It is not yet known who will replace her on the post of NSC secretary.

Giorgi Kverenchkhiladze was President Margvelashvili’s parliamentary secretary between June 2014 and April, 2016.