The Human Rights Protection and Civil Integration Committee considered, at the I reading, amendments to the Law of Georgia “On the Budget Code of Georgia,” which concern the process of forming the budget of the Legal Aid Service.

According to the draft law, it is stipulated that the reduction of the total amount of appropriations envisaged under the economic classification of expenditures for the Legal Aid Service, compared to the amount defined by the approved budget of the previous year, shall be permitted not with the consent of the Legal Aid Council, as provided for by the current version of the law, but only with the consent of the Legal Aid Service.

As explained by the reporter, the Committee Chair, Rati Ionatamishvili, following the amendments made by the Parliament to the Law “On Legal Aid,” the Legal Aid Council was abolished, and accordingly, it became necessary to introduce relevant amendments to the “Budget Code of Georgia”.