Parliament Bans Court Filming as Judge Salaries Doubled in Fast-Tracked Bill
By Liza Mchedlidze
Wednesday, June 25, 2025
The Georgian Dream parliament is advancing a draft law that prohibits photo, video, and audio recording at court premises, alongside a nearly twofold pay raise for judges. Critics warn that the sweeping reforms will block public oversight of judicial proceedings.
The proposed amendments ban all recording or broadcasting in courthouses, courtrooms and courtyards unless conducted by the court or an approved official. The bill stipulates that independent media may only record after submitting a formal request and receiving a judge's reasoned approval.
The Media Advocacy Coalition cautioned that the changes "will severely restrict media work and effectively eliminate public oversight of the judiciary". Mindia Gabadze, a photographer for Publika, said court coverage is now essentially banned for media professionals, particularly photographers.
Under current rules, Georgia's Public Broadcaster can freely record court sessions in open courtrooms and share content with other outlets. Additionally, private individuals are allowed to bring phones, laptops, and other devices into courts. These provisions are removed entirely in the new bill.
Meanwhile, judges' pay will change from fixed salaries to a formula based on the state budget. City court judges' pay will increase from roughly GEL4,000 to GEL10,512, and the Supreme Court chair's salary will rise from GEL7,000 to GEL14,600.
In defence of the legislation, Georgian Dream Secretary-General and Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze compared current court proceedings to a "circus," asserting that reforms will professionalise the judiciary and bring Georgian standards in line with those in Europe and the United States.
International reaction has been critical. The EU's High Representative Kaja Kallas labelled Georgia's justice system as "part of this repression machine," saying sanctions against judges may now be considered after the EU Foreign Affairs Council met on June 23.
