The Legal Affairs Committee deliberated on and approved the Draft Laws on Police and on Assemblies and Demonstrations for the II reading.

Amendments to the Law On Police provide that the Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs will become a higher education institution and will be renamed the Academy of Public Safety and Police (Police Academy).

The draft law envisages the creation of a new bachelor’s program within the police system. It sets out provisions related to admission to the Police Academy’s higher education program, the process of study, and matters concerning student status.

According to the reporter, Deputy Interior Minister Aleksandre Darakhvelidze, the remarks expressed during the I reading of the draft law were taken into account, and the legislative package was amended to include provisions enabling the State Security Service to implement a master’s degree program.

Amendments to the Law On Assemblies and Demonstrations, together with accompanying draft laws, were introduced by the Chair of the Legal Affairs Committee, Archil Gorduladze.

Under the draft law, prior notification of the relevant state authority becomes mandatory when an assembly or demonstration is held in an area intended for pedestrian movement. Furthermore, if an assembly or demonstration poses a real threat to public safety, law and order, the normal functioning of enterprises, institutions or organizations, the movement of vehicles or people, or the rights and freedoms of others, the relevant state authority will be empowered to instruct participants regarding an alternative place, time, and/or route for holding the assembly or demonstration.

Failure to comply with such an instruction will result in liability as prescribed by the legislation. In addition, the draft law regulates issues related to the termination of an assembly or demonstration.

The authors and initiators of the draft law are MPs: Archil Gorduladze, Tornike Tchheishvili, Davit Matikashvili, Rati Ionatamishvili, Aleksandre Tabatadze, Aluda Gudushauri, Akaki Aladashvili, Tengiz Sharmanashvili, and Guram Macharashvili.