Since restoring its independence in 1991, Georgia has embarked on a series of ambitious judicial reform campaigns, modeling its institutions on established European and American systems. On paper, these efforts have yielded a sophisticated framework for judicial selection, governance, and discipline. Yet, despite these extensive, multi-wave reforms over 34 years, sustained progress in securing judicial independence and accountability remains elusive. While formal institutions and regulations have been the primary focus of these reforms, the crucial aspect of fostering the independence of individual judges has been largely overlooked until very recently. This has given rise to a powerful, internally influential group of judges, often referred to as a ‘clan,’ which has consolidated its control over the judiciary, notably through the High Council of Justice. This body, originally intended to be a guarantor of judicial independence, has, in effect, become a tool for concentrating power and stifling dissent within the judiciary. Consequently, flashes of hope for true judicial autonomy have been consistently undermined by a persistent culture of conformity and corporate interests. Moreover, new laws in early 2025 have given more power to the judicial leadership and tightened control over judges. This puts even more pressure on them to conform. This raises a critical question: After decades of focusing on the system’s rules, is it now too late to start empowering the judges themselves? Or is this difficult moment our last real chance to build a judiciary based on the personal integrity of its judges, not just their loyalty to the institution?

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