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Volume 8, issue 4


The sufficiency of evidence to convict the person for committing a crime of intolerance based on discriminatory grounds and its importance in determining the sentence

Authors: Nati Gelovani

Nati Gelovani

Ph.D. student at the Faculty of Law and Social Sciences of East European University

Email: nnatigelovani@gmail.com



Affiliation: Ph.D. student at the Faculty of Law and Social Sciences of East European University

Abstract: All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. The fight against discrimination is recognized by the Constitution of Georgia – “All persons are equal before the law”, any kind of discrimination is not allowed. This is emphasized in the principles and norms specified in international conventions and declarations. The obligation to study the discriminatory motive within the framework of the full, comprehensive and objective investigation stipulated by the procedural legis- lation rests with the law enforcement officers, and the court is obliged to administer justice, to make a summary decision based on the evidence. In addition, it must be substantiated. According to the legislation of Georgia, to convict a person is necessary to have a set of evidences that would convince an objective person of the person’s guilt. In the case of a crime motivated by hate, it is additionally necessary to have such indicators – evidence, which is necessary to confirm the existence of the motive. National law, which is in full compliance with international law, requires that the summary judgment passed by the court and the type and extent of the sentence applied must be justified. The court’s verdict should give any person the opportu- nity to get information on what evidence and why the court made this particular decision. In this paper are discussed the indicators of crimes committed with the motive of intolerance based on discrimination and the types of evidence to be obtained based on them, as well as the decisions of the national court and the standards of substantiation of these decisions are studied – on what evidence is the summary decision made and to what extent does the motive of hatred influence the type and size of the relative punishment.

Keywords: Crimes motivated by intolerance committed on the grounds of discrimination, Hate Crime, Evidence sufficient to convict a person, Importance of motive in sentencing,


Language: GE

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BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Georgian Literature:

  1. Constitution of Georgia.
  2. Criminal Code of Georgia.
  3. Criminal Procedure Code of Georgia
  4. Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948).
  5. European Convention on Human Rights (1950).
  6. Gelovani, N., (2022). Analysis of the Report of Data (October-December 2020) on crime of intolerance committed on the grounds of discrimination, Law and World, 8(2).
  7. Gelovani, N., (2022), Crimes Committed on Grounds of Intolerance in Georgian Criminal Law. Justic and Law, 14(3).
  8. Commentary on the Criminal Procedure Code of Georgia, chief editor: G. Giorgadze, Tb. (2015).
  9. National Statistics Office of Georgia, (2022, March). Joint Report of Data on Crimes Committed on Grounds of Intolerance With Discrimination Basis, 2022.

Foreign Literature:

  1. OSCE Ministerial Council, Decision No. 9/09 on Combating Hate Crimes, OSCE Ministerial Council, Athens, 2009.
  2. OSCE/ODIHR, Hate Crime Caws a Practical Guide, ODIHR Publishing, Warsaw, Poland, 2009.
  3. OSCE/ODIHR (2022) Gender-Based Hate Crime, Hate Crime Reporting, ODIHR Publishing, Warsaw, Poland.
  4. OSCE/ODIHR (2015) Understanding Hate Crimes A Handbook for Ukraine, Warsaw, Poland, 2015.
  5. Lu-in Wang, “The Complexities of Hate”, Ohio State Law Journal, Vol. 60, 1999.
  6. Crown Prosecution Service, (2022, 3 March), “Homophobic, Biphobic and Transphobic Hate Crime – Prosecution Guidance“.

International Court Decision:

  1. ECtHR, Case of Begheluri and Others v. Georgia, no. 28490/02, 07/10/2014.
  2. ECtHR, Case of Aghdgomelashvili and Japaridze v. Georgia, no. 7224/11, 22/03/2021.
  3. ECtHR, Case of Identoba and Others v. Georgia, no.73235/12, 12/05/2015.
  4. ECtHR, Case of Angelova and Iliev v. Bulgaria, no. 55523/00, 26/07/2007
  5. . ECtHR, Case of Barberà, Messegué, Jabardo v. Spain, no. 10590/83, 06/12/1988.
  6. ECtHR, Case of 97 Members of the Gldani Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses and 4 Others v. Georgia, no. 71156/01, 03/05/2017.
  7. ECtHR, Case of Tkhelidze v. Georgia, no. 33056/17, 08/07/2021.
  8. ECtHR, Case A and B v. Georgia, no. 73975/16, 10/02/2022.

National Court Decision:

  1. Decision Constitutional Court of Georgia, Panel I, II-2, N1/1/548 on the case "Georgian citizen Zurab Mikadze against the Parliament of Georgia", 22/01/2015.
  2. Decision of the Supreme Court of Georgia of June 24, 2014, №230AP-13.
  3. Judgment of Tbilisi City Court of February 5, 2021.
  4. Judgment of Tbilisi City Court of March 9, 2021.
  5. Judgment of Tbilisi City Court of February 15, 2021.
  6. Judgment of Tbilisi City Court of April 6, 2022.
  7. Judgment of Tbilisi City Court of April 1, 2021.
  8. Judgment of Tbilisi City Court on August 25, 2021.
  9. Verdict N1/3828-19 of Tbilisi City Court of September 5, 2019.

Notes:

  1. ECtHR, Case of Begheluri and Others v. Georgia, no. 28490/02, 07/10/2014, §173, 179; Case of Aghdgomelashvili and Japaridze v. Georgia, no. 7224/11, 22/03/2021, §44; Case of Identoba and Others v. Georgia, no.73235/12, 12/05/2015, § 77.
  2. Crown Prosecution Service, (2022, 3 March). “Homophobic, Biphobic and Transphobic Hate Crime – Prosecution Guidance”, https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/homophobic-biphobic-and-transphobic-hate-crime-prosecution-guidance [Last Seen: 23.11.2022].
  3. ECtHR, Case of Angelova and Iliev v. Bulgaria, no. 55523/00, 26/07/2007, §104
  4. Gelovani, N., (2022). Analysis of the Report of Data (October-December 2020) on crime of intolerance committed on the grounds of discrimination, Law and World, 8(2), p.37 https://lawandworld.ge/PDF/printversionPDF/LawandWorld_N22_Print_Version.pdf [Last Seen: 23.11.2022].
  5. Gelovani, N., (2022), Crimes Committed on Grounds of Intolerance in Georgian Criminal Law. Justic and Law, 14(3), p. 116, https://www.supremecourt.ge/files/upload-file/pdf/ martlmsajuleba-da-kanoni-2022w-n3.pdf [Last Seen: 23.11.2022].
  6. Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), European Convention on Human Rights (1950) and etc
  7. OSCE Ministerial Council (2010). Decision No. 9/09 on Combating Hate Crimes, OSCE Ministerial Council, Athens, 2009, p. 1, https://www.osce.org/cio/40695 [ Last Seen: 23.11.2022].
  8. OSCE/ODIHR (2022) Gender-Based Hate Crime, Hate Crime Reporting, ODIHR Publishing,Warsaw, Poland https://www.osce.org/files/f/documents/f/1/480847.pdf> [ Last Seen:23.11.2022].
  9. Gelovani, N., (2022), Crimes Committed on Grounds of Intolerance in Georgian CriminalLaw. Justic and Law, 14(3), p. 114-131, https://www.supremecourt.ge/files/upload-file/pdf/martlmsajuleba-da-kanoni-2022w-n3.pdf [Last Seen: 23.11.2022].
  10. ECtHR, Case of Barberà, Messegué, Jabardo v. Spain, no. 10590/83, 06/12/1988, §68.
  11. Decision Constitutional Court of Georgia, Panel I, II-2, N1/1/548 on the case "Georgian citizen Zurab Mikadze against the Parliament of Georgia", 22/01/2015, https://matsne.gov.ge/ka/document/view/2714193?publication=0 [Last Seen: 23.11.2022].
  12. Commentary on the Criminal Procedure Code of Georgia, chief editor: G. Giorgadze, Tb. (2015), 33
  13. Commentary on the Criminal Procedure Code of Georgia, chief editor: G. Giorgadze, Tb. (2015), 292.
  14. OSCE/ODIHR (2010) Hate Crime Caws a Practical Guide, ODIHR Publishing, Warsaw, Poland, 2009, p. 51, https://www.osce.org/files/f/documents/3/e/36426.pdf [Last Seen: 23.11.2022].
  15. OSCE/ODIHR (2010) Hate Crime Caws a Practical Guide, ODIHR Publishing, Warsaw, Poland, 2009, p. 52, https://www.osce.org/files/f/documents/3/e/36426.pdf [Last Seen: 23.11.2022].
  16. OSCE/ODIHR (2010) Hate Crime Caws a Practical Guide, ODIHR Publishing, Warsaw, Poland, 2009, p. 52, https://www.osce.org/files/f/documents/3/e/36426.pdf [Last Seen: 23.11.2022].
  17. OSCE/ODIHR (2010) Hate Crime Caws a Practical Guide, ODIHR Publishing, Warsaw, Poland, 2009, p. 52, https://www.osce.org/files/f/documents/3/e/36426.pdf [Last Seen: 23.11.2022].
  18. See Lu-in Wang, “The Complexities of Hate”, Ohio State Law Journal, Vol. 60, 1999, at p. 807
  19. OSCE/ODIHR (2010) Hate Crime Caws a Practical Guide, ODIHR Publishing, Warsaw, Poland, 2009, p. 55 https://www.osce.org/files/f/documents/3/e/36426.pdf [Last Seen: 23.11.2022].
  20. OSCE/ODIHR (2015) Understanding Hate Crimes A Handbook for Ukraine, Warsaw, Poland, 2015, p. 9, https://www.osce.org/files/f/documents/4/9/208176.pdf [Last Seen: 23.11.2022].
  21. OSCE/ODIHR (2015) Understanding Hate Crimes A Handbook for Ukraine, Warsaw, Poland, 2015, p. 9-10 https://www.osce.org/files/f/documents/4/9/208176.pdf [Last Seen: 23.11.2022].
  22. Decision of the Supreme Court of Georgia of June 24, 2014, №230AP-13, http://prg.supremecourt.ge/DetailViewCrime.aspx [Last Seen: 23.11.2022].
  23. OSCE/ODIHR (2010) Hate Crime Caws a Practical Guide, ODIHR Publishing, Warsaw, Poland, 2009, p. 22-23, https://www.osce.org/files/f/documents/3/e/36426.pdf [Last Seen: 23.11.2022].
  24. OSCE/ODIHR (2010) Hate Crime Caws a Practical Guide, ODIHR Publishing, Warsaw, Poland, 2009, p. 33-34, https://www.osce.org/files/f/documents/3/e/36426.pdf [Last Seen: 23.11.2022].
  25. OSCE/ODIHR (2010) Hate Crime Caws a Practical Guide, ODIHR Publishing, Warsaw, Poland, 2009, p. 47, https://www.osce.org/files/f/documents/3/e/36426.pdf [Last Seen: 23.11.2022].
  26. OSCE/ODIHR (2010) Hate Crime Caws a Practical Guide, ODIHR Publishing, Warsaw, Poland, 2009, p. 35, https://www.osce.org/files/f/documents/3/e/36426.pdf [Last Seen: 23.11.2022].
  27. Judgment of Tbilisi City Court of February 5, 2021.
  28. Judgment of Tbilisi City Court of March 9, 2021.
  29. Judgment of Tbilisi City Court of February 15, 2021.
  30. Judgment of Tbilisi City Court of April 6, 2022.
  31. Judgment of Tbilisi City Court of April 1, 2021.
  32. Judgment of Tbilisi City Court on August 25, 2021.
  33. Verdict N1/3828-19 of Tbilisi City Court of September 5, 2019
  34. ECtHR, Case of Identoba and Others v. Georgia, no.73235/12, 12/05/2015, §75.
  35. ECtHR, Case of Identoba and Others v. Georgia, no.73235/12, 12/05/2015.
  36. ECtHR, Case of 97 Members of the Gldani Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses and 4 Others v. Georgia, no. 71156/01, 03/05/2007.
  37. ECtHR, Case of Aghdgomelashvili and Japaridze v. Georgia, no. 7224/11, 22/03/2021. Case of Begheluri and Others v. Georgia, no. 28490/02, 07/10/2014.
  38. ECtHR, Case of Tkhelidze v. Georgia, no. 33056/17, 08/07/2021, Case A and B v. Georgia, no. 73975/16, 10/02/2022.
  39. National Statistics Office of Georgia, (2022, March). Joint Report of Data on Crimes Committed on Grounds of Intolerance With Discrimination Basis, 2022, https://www.geostat.ge/media/43558/diskriminaciis-niSniT_2021.pdf [Last Seen: 23.11.2022].
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