Public Defender of Georgia

The Public Defender of Georgia (Georgian: საქართველოს სახალხო დამცველი, romanized: sakartvelos sakhalkho damtsveli), an ombudsman, is an institution that oversees the observance of human rights and freedoms in Georgia. It advises the government on human rights issues. It also analyses the nation's laws, policies, and practices, in compliance with the international standards, and provides relevant recommendations.[1]

The Public Defender of Georgia is elected for a term of six years, for no more than one consecutive term, by a majority of at least 3/5 of the total number of the members of the Parliament of Georgia.[2] The office was established in accordance with the 1996 Organic Law on the Public Defender of Georgia.[1] Any obstruction of the activities of the Public Defender is punishable by law.[2] The Constitution of Georgia grants certain immunity to the Public Defender; they can be arrested only with the consent of Parliament, except if caught at the crime scene.[2]

The public defender of Georgia took a proactive approach to the issue of torture, which used to be widespread in Georgia's police stations, leading to a dramatic reduction in its occurrence in the mid-2000s. Aspects of its program that were deemed effective in reducing torture include accepting anonymous complaints and commonly making surprise visits to places of detention.[3]