The Legal Issues Committee discussed and approved, in the II reading and under an expedited procedure, amendments to the Penitentiary Code of Georgia.

According to the presenter, Deputy Justice Minister Giorgi Dgebuadze, the draft law revises and clarifies certain regulations related to the functioning of the penitentiary system. It also aims to eliminate specific inconsistencies with other provisions of the code and correct the wording of several norms from a terminological perspective.

According to Giorgi Dgebuadze, the proposed amendments will contribute to better protection and implementation of the rights of defendants and convicted persons, as well as to the more effective operation of the penitentiary system.

In particular, the new legislation will regulate issues related to incompatibility of service positions. In addition, the structural units of the Special Penitentiary Service will no longer be explicitly referenced by name in the Penitentiary Code or several other legislative acts.

Giorgi Dgebuadze also noted that several terminological changes are being introduced into the code. For the purpose of maintaining a uniform legal approach, provisions concerning conditional early release from serving a sentence will be removed from the Penitentiary Code as a technical amendment, since those matters are regulated by the Criminal Code of Georgia.

The amendments further clarify deadlines for carrying out certain procedural actions within individual provisions of the code.

As a consequence of the amendments to the Penitentiary Code, corresponding changes are also being introduced into: the Criminal Procedure Code of Georgia; the Code of Administrative Offenses of Georgia; the Law of Georgia “On Combating Corruption”; and the Law of Georgia “On Crime Prevention, the Procedure for the Execution of Non-Custodial Sentences and Probation”.