Jury trials started in Georgia on Friday, RIA Novosti reports.
Amendments to the criminal justice law providing for jury trials were
adopted in October 2009. They will operate only in Tbilisi from 2010
to October 2012, and will be used for murder trials.
From October 2012 to October 2014 they will be used for manslaughter
and rape trials
A guilty sentence requires a 75% majority, otherwise the accused will
be considered innocent. A verdict of guilt can be appealed.
Opposition and Georgian Lawyer Association believe that the new code
needs adjustments. They say that it is worse than the previous code
and call it "inquisitional". They point to the inequality of the
sides. The prosecution has more powers, the defendant has a narrow
range of actions. The lawyers are also forbidden to request appeals,
chairman of the association Zaza Khatiashvili said.
