Manana Kobakhidze has stepped down from her position as a judge of the Constitutional Court. According to the court, the resignation was tendered on the basis of a “personal request.”
“By Order No. 2 of the President of the Constitutional Court, the authority of the Constitutional Court judge has been terminated ahead of schedule, effective October 13, 2026.
The Constitutional Court of Georgia wishes her success in her future endeavors,” the statement reads.
As previously reported, Kobakhidze had requested recusal from hearing the lawsuit seeking to ban opposition parties, but the court denied her motion.
According to Manana Kobakhidze, the public is well aware that she was a co-founder of Georgian Dream, served as party chair and as a member of parliament, and, even prior to launching her political career, had publicly criticized the United National Movement and individual members who currently belong to other parties named in the lawsuit; she had demanded legal accountability for the very acts cited in the constitutional claim as key arguments for declaring these parties unconstitutional and banning them.
“…could still raise questions regarding her impartiality and independence, which would undermine trust in the court.
The Plenum of the Court rejected Kobakhidze’s motion. According to the court’s reasoning, her past political statements were general in nature and did not provide sufficient grounds to assume the judge would deliver a biased ruling. The court also noted that the substance of Kobakhidze’s past statements did not overlap with the subject matter and claims of the lawsuit.
The Constitutional Court rejected this stance, holding that her participation in reviewing the lawsuit and the associated legal or procedural issues would not lead participants in the constitutional proceedings, the public, or an objective observer to question the impartiality of a Constitutional Court judge.
