On January 12, Caucasus University hosted the presentation of the first commentary handbook on the Juvenile Justice Code.

The publication was developed within the framework of a research project led by Levan Darbaidze, Affiliated Professor at Caucasus University School of Law, Doctor of Law, and Judge. The project was selected as the winner of the 2023 Fundamental Research Grant Competition of the Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation. For the first time in Georgia, the Commentaries on the Juvenile Justice Code were prepared with the active involvement of both local and international experts. The handbook offers substantial value from both educational and practical perspectives, serving students, legal practitioners, and all individuals interested in the protection of children’s rights.

Scope and Content of the Commentaries

The handbook provides an in-depth analysis of key aspects of juvenile justice, including:

• International legal frameworks governing juvenile justice, such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice (Beijing Rules), and the Riyadh Guidelines;
• Case-law analysis of landmark judgments of the European Court of Human Rights and decisions of Georgian common courts;
• Comprehensive article-by-article commentary on the Juvenile Justice Code.

Academic and Practical Significance

The originality of the project lies in its synthesis of theory and practice. For the first time in Georgia’s academic landscape, a fundamental scholarly work in the field of juvenile justice has been authored directly by judges, offering detailed commentary on both substantive and procedural legal issues. This approach ensures the handbook’s strong practical relevance and authoritative value.

The project was further strengthened through international consultation provided by Renate Winter, an Austrian judge at the Special Court for Sierra Leone, an internationally recognized expert in family law, juvenile justice systems, and women’s justice, a founding member of the International Institute for Children’s Rights (IDE), and former Chair of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. Ms. Winter is also one of the authors of the publication. Georgian judicial contributors to the project include Professor Levan Darbaidze and Eka Areshidze, Judge of the Tbilisi City Court.

As core academic literature, the handbook will primarily be made available to law students, whose number in Georgia exceeds 10,000, for whom Juvenile Justice is a compulsory course. In addition, the commentaries will serve as an essential resource for professionals working within the juvenile justice system, including police officers, investigators, prosecutors, judges, as well as parents, social workers, psychologists, teachers, and other specialists who work directly with children and seek deeper insight into the legal framework governing juvenile justice.