Two new judges have been appointed to the Constitutional Court of Georgia: Goga Kikilashvili under the presidential quota, and Sergo Metopishvili under the quota of the Plenum of the Supreme Court.
Kikilashvili will replace Giorgi Kverenchkhiladze, whose term expires on October 2. On November 2, the 10-year term of Teimuraz Tugushi comes to an end, with Metopishvili set to take his seat.
Goga Kikilashvili is the son of Judge Khvicha Kikilashvili.
His father was appointed to the Constitutional Court in 2020, but stepped down five years ahead of schedule—in March 2025. During that period, the term of the then-President of the Constitutional Court, Merab Turava, was expiring.
Merab Turava was a member of the Constitutional Court appointed by parliament, while Khvicha Kikilashvili had been appointed by the Supreme Court. Parliament cannot approve Turava’s successor to the Constitutional Court, as it lacks the required majority of votes (90).
The Supreme Court, for its part, appointed Revaz Nadaraia to replace Khvicha Kikilashvili; Nadaraia subsequently became President of the Constitutional Court.
Goga Kikilashvili holds a degree in law and is actively engaged in academic and scholarly work. Between 2019 and 2023, he managed a law firm, and from 2020 to 2023, he served as a mediator for collective labor disputes. Since 2023, Kikilashvili has been a non-judge member of the High Council of Justice.
As for Sergo Metopishvili, he is widely regarded as a representative of an influential group known as the “judicial clan”—the existence of which is routinely alleged by non-governmental organizations, former non-judge members of the High Council of Justice, and opposition parties.
Notable among Metopishvili’s public statements are his discriminatory and offensive remarks directed at former High Council of Justice members Nazi Janezashvili and Ana Dolidze. In addition, Metopishvili has criticized and accused the non-governmental sector of bias (specifically Eka Gigauri), as well as politicians who have voiced criticism of the current judicial system, including Eka Beselia.
Metopishvili openly opposes the judicial “vetting” process (integrity checks for judges). In 2024, he stated that the judiciary intends to utilize all available legal mechanisms to resist integrity checks on judges.
In 2024, an independent commission established by the Anti-Corruption Bureau selected 300 officials, including 27 judges, whose asset declarations were subject to mandatory audits. A court suspended the verification procedure for Metopishvili’s asset declaration.