Courts authorise, review and decide; they do not conduct the prosecution investigation
Georgia's common-courts system performs different criminal functions at the magistrate, city or district, appellate and Supreme Court levels. The relevant court depends on the action, territory, procedural stage and statutory route. A judge considering an investigative measure is not deciding final guilt.
Mandate in a criminal case
During investigation, a magistrate judge or competent court may examine applications for detention, bail, search, seizure or other measures assigned by law. The first-instance court manages pre-trial and trial issues, hears evidence and renders judgment; the Court of Appeals and Supreme Court perform the review functions permitted by legislation.
What this page must not imply
A court ruling must be read for what it actually decides. Authorising a search, imposing pre-trial detention, admitting evidence or finding probable grounds is not the same as a conviction. Appealability, deadline, standard of review and available record differ by decision.
Questions and actions that organise the file
Documents to request or preserve
- Motion filed by the party
- Court notice and proof of service
- Operative and reasoned ruling
- Hearing record or audio where available
- Appeal, response and decision of the reviewing court
Counsel should match the requested remedy to the decision: release or alternative restraint, exclusion or admission of evidence, procedural complaint, appeal, cassation or reopening are not interchangeable. Missing the correct record or deadline can be more important than repeating the factual disagreement.
Primary sources for this guide
Institutional structures, consolidated legislation and procedures can change. Verify the responsible body, current Georgian text and the actual document served before relying on this guide.
Courts of Georgia↗︎Criminal Procedure Code of Georgia↗︎Constitution of Georgia↗︎