Georgia: An introductory meeting was held between the Chairman of the Lawyers Association, Irakli Kandashvili, and the Director of the 8th Penitentiary Institution, Ramaz Firtskhalava.
The Georgian Bar Association shared the glimpses of the meeting on its official Facebook Page on February 5, 2026, Thursday. The Bar Association of Georgia also shared a small note about the meeting, along with its glimpses.
The issues of cooperation between the Association of Lawyers and the Penitentiary Institution were discussed at the meeting. The conversation was about the details of the electronic portal for booking a lawyer’s visit with the accused/convicted in the penitentiary facility and the procedures a lawyer goes through when entering the facility.
During the visit, Irakli Kandashvili personally attended the proceedings of the lawyer’s procedures when entering the institution.
Irakli Kandashvili noted, “To ensure that the working conditions of a lawyer are as flexible and effective as possible, I personally discussed the issues related to visiting a lawyer in a penitentiary institution with Ramaz, including the challenges of which the lawyers themselves provided me with.”
The conversation touched upon entrance control procedures, including technical inspections, as well as an electronic portal booking system, which has been operating between the association and the prison for years.
“Several delays have been identified, including a delay in the release of prisoners to meet with an attorney during the afternoon hours. I received confirmation that the control of these issues will be strengthened by the authorities. It is important to protect the lawyer’s professional dignity and provide a proper working environment,” said Irakli Kandashvili.
The parties agreed on intensive private communication to ensure immediate response in case any technical difficulties occurred, in the best interests of the lawyers.
It is worth noting that the Georgian Bar Association, in cooperation with the Georgian Ministry of Justice and the Special Penitentiary Service,e has created an electronic portal for pre-booking of a lawyer’s visit with defendant/convicted in N8, which will be active since 2022 and will provide the organization and timing of a lawyer’s and his client’s meeting.
