The Legal Issues Committee supported, in the first reading, amendments to the Law of Georgia “On Notaries”, aimed at bringing the legislation into compliance with a decision of the Constitutional Court of Georgia.

According to the presenter of the bill, First Deputy Chair of the Procedural Issues Committee Akaki Aladashvili, Article 11, Paragraph 1 of the Law “On Notaries” sets out the requirements for appointment to the position of notary.

In particular, the current provision states that a notary position may be held by a legally capable citizen of Georgia who has a higher legal education, has completed an internship or has at least one year of experience working as a notary or at least five years of professional experience in public service, and has passed the notarial qualification examination.

As the presenter noted, on September 19, 2025, the Constitutional Court, in the case “Giorgi Gotsadze v. Parliament of Georgia,” ruled unconstitutional, in relation to Article 11, Paragraph 1 of the Constitution of Georgia, the normative content of Article 11, Paragraph 1 of the Law “On Notaries,” insofar as it automatically excluded, without individual assessment, professional experience obtained in legal entities under public law from counting toward the required five years of professional public service experience necessary for appointment as a notary.

According to the draft law, Article 11, Paragraph 1 of the Law, in addition to substantive amendments, is being reformulated in a technically revised wording. Under the new wording, the position of notary may be occupied, in accordance with the procedure established by the Law “On Notaries,” by a legally capable citizen of Georgia who has a higher legal education, has passed the notarial qualification examination, and satisfies one of the following conditions:

has completed an internship under a program established by the Georgian Chamber of Notaries;
has at least one year of experience working as a notary;
has five years of experience working as a notary assistant;
has at least five years of professional experience in public service, including in legal entities under public law, (except for activities in cultural, educational, scientific, research, sports, religious, membership-based legal entities under public law, and those categories of legal entities under public law defined by the Law on Public Service and the Law on Legal Entities under Public Law).

In addition, a related amendment is introduced to Article 27, Paragraph 2 of the Law, which, besides substantive changes, is also being reformulated in a technically revised wording.