MERAB TURAVA
MERAB TURAVA
President of the Constitutional Court of GeorgiaBorn on 23 September 1964, in Zugdidi.
Graduated with honors from the Law Faculty of Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (1990), with specialty of Law.
During 1990-1990 studied at the Faculty of State and Law of Friedrich Schiller University Jena.
During 1990-1991 was a post-graduate student at the Law Faculty of Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University.
1992–1997 pursued doctoral studies at the Law Faculty of Humboldt University of Berlin and was a research fellow at the Institute of Criminal Law. He defended his doctoral thesis and was awarded the degree of Doctor of Law by the Law Faculty of Berlin University.
During 1998–2001 was a member of the Working Group that elaborated the draft Criminal Code of Georgia within the State Commission of Legal Reform of Georgia.
During 1998–2005 was an assistant Professor at the Law Faculty of Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, and a member of the board of the training center for judges at the Ministry of Justice of Georgia and a tutor of criminal law at the training center.
During 1998-2005 he conducted several study visits - to the German Judicial Academy in Wustrau, the Academy of European Law in Trier, the Federal Constitutional and Supreme Courts of Germany, the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland, international and European courts. In 2004 participated in the Fifth International Conference of the Chief Justices of the World in Lucknow, India.
During 1999–2001 was an expert of the judicial training project of TACIC-EU.
During 1999-2006 served as a Judge at the Chamber of Criminal Cases of the Supreme Court of Georgia, whereas during 2000-2005 presided over the Chamber of Criminal Cases and was a Vice-President of the Supreme Court of Georgia.
During 2001–2003 was an expert of the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) working on the compatibility of the legislation of Georgia with the Statute of the International Criminal Court (the Rome Statute) and implementation of the Rome Statute (in cooperation with German Professor Claus Kress). In 2002 was a research fellow in international criminal law at Max Planck Institute for Foreign and International Criminal Law in Freiburg.
During 2001-2004 was a head of the Working Group elaborating the draft Criminal Procedure Code within the Interagency Commission of Institutional Reform of the System of Security and Law-enforcement Agencies.
During 2003-2010 was on an academic mission to the Universities of Berlin, Jena and Basel (2003-2010). During 2006-2011 participated in an academic project on criminal law implemented in partnership with Friedrich Schiller University Jena and Humboldt University of Berlin.
During 2005–2008 was an associate Professor at the Law Faculty of Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University.
During 2007–2012 was a Professor at the School of Law and Head of the Criminal Law Department at the School of Law of the University of Georgia.
During 2008–2009 was an Academic Director of a research project for the Development of European Criminal Law in Georgia implemented within Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation. In 2008 participated in research on the compatibility of Georgian legislation with framework decisions of the European Union carried out by the Georgian–European Policy and Legal Advice Centre (GEPLAC).
During 2011-2013 was a Visiting Professor and Research Scholar of Alexander von Humboldt Foundation at the research institutes of the law faculties of Humboldt University of Berlin, Friedrich Schiller University Jena and the University of Cologne with Alexander von Humboldt Scientific Scholarship.
Since 2012 has been a member of the Criminal Justice Reform Interagency Coordination Council of Georgia.
Since 2013 has been a Professor at the Law Faculty of Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University and the School of Law of Grigol Robakidze University. On August 5, 2013 was appointed as the Director of the Institute of Comparative and Transnational Criminal Law at the Law Faculty of Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University. Delivers lectures in criminal law, international criminal law and European criminal law.
On March 20, 2015 was elected as the member of the Constitutional Court of Georgia by the Parliament of Georgia. He started to exercise the authority of the judge on March 30, 2015 from the day of oath-taking.
On November 2, 2016 was elected as the Secretary of the Constitutional Court of Georgia by the Plenum of the Constitutional Court.
On January 12, 2018, by the Decision of the Plenum of the Constitutional Court of Georgia, he was elected as a Vice-President of the Constitutional Court of Georgia and a Chairman of the First Board.
On June 25, 2020 was elected as the President of the Constitutional Court by the Plenum of the Constitutional Court of Georgia.
Has authored numerous manuals and academic articles.
Has an excellent command of German and Russian languages.
Has a spouse and three children.