Support to the Public Defender’s Office

The overall objective of the project is to support the Public Defender’s Office in its capacity to monitor the human rights situation in Georgia in the frame of the new criminal justice system.  More specifically, the project will seek to achieve the following objectives:
Strengthening the monitoring capacities of the PDO by improving procedures to conduct investigation of closed facilities and trial monitoring. To reach this aim, a comprehensive analytical unit within the PDO on legal, criminological and other issues related to the criminal justice reform in Georgia will be established and comprehensive monitoring guidelines (such as guidelines for trial monitoring) and methodologies based on European best practices will be developed
Improving the institutional capacity of the PDO through the development of state-of-the-art computer-based systems including an effective case management system, complaint database and statistical analysis programme. The project intends to strengthen the PDO’s financial management practices through assessment and revision of the present system of budget preparation and the development and implementation of comprehensive guidelines for result-oriented budget preparation
Raising public awareness on the rule of law and human rights issues by informing the general public about the work and mandate of the PDO; about the individual’s rights vis-à-vis law enforcement bodies and public institutions; about the rule of law and how it affects the citizens; and about understanding the mechanisms and processes open to them in order to preserve and protect those rights. Public awareness campaigns will also be directed at public agencies (especially those involved in law enforcement/administration of justice) to inform about the role and mandate of the PDO in ensuring human rights protection.