The presentation of the first commentary on Georgia’s Juvenile Justice Code will take place on June 16 at 18:00 in the conference hall of Caucasus University, located at 1 Paata Saakadze Street.

The Juvenile Justice Code entered into force in Georgia on January 1, 2016, bringing about a significant shift in how children are perceived and treated, particularly by professionals working in the field. The Code strengthened the understanding that children are rights-holders with specific needs, requiring special care and protection. In juvenile justice proceedings, all parties, including the presiding judge, must be guided above all by the protection of the child’s rights, which should remain the central priority at every stage of the justice system.

The commentary was developed within the framework of a project led by Judge Levan Darbaidze, Affiliated Professor at the School of Law of Caucasus University. The project won the 2023 Fundamental Research Grant Competition of the Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation of Georgia. For the first time in Georgia, a comprehensive commentary on the Juvenile Justice Code has been prepared with the involvement of both Georgian and international experts. The publication will serve as a valuable educational and practical resource for students, legal practitioners, and anyone interested in children’s rights.

The commentary was prepared with the participation of representatives of the Georgian judiciary, sitting judges, and Austrian judge Renate Winter, former Vice-Chair of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. It provides detailed analysis of the key rights-based and procedural issues regulated by the Code.

The publication covers:

• international legal standards in the field of juvenile justice, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice, known as the “Beijing Rules,” and the United Nations Guidelines for the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency, known as the “Riyadh Guidelines”;
  • relevant case law of the European Court of Human Rights and judgments of the Georgian common courts;
  • article-by-article commentary on the Juvenile Justice Code.

The commentary will be especially useful as core reading for law students studying juvenile justice. It will also be a valuable resource for specialized professionals working in the field, including police officers, investigators, prosecutors, judges, parents, social workers, psychologists, teachers, and others who work directly with children or are interested in the legal issues related to juvenile justice.

Those wishing to attend the presentation are kindly asked to register via the link by June 12, 2026.