Page 12 - GEORptNov18

The report, “European judicial systems: Efficiency and quality of justice”, looked at judicial systems in 45 European countries. The average per capita expenditure was €64.50 while the maximum was that of Switzerland at €214.80. But in Azerbaijan the expenditure was a mere €7.80, while in Armenia it was €8.40 and in Georgia it was €9.70.
The average gross salaries of judges in Armenia in comparison to average salaries in the country was high, the report also concluded. At the start of their career, Armenian judges earned more than four times the average salary and at the end of their career, more than eight times the average salary. The average European indicator for the end-career judge was found to be 4.5 times the average salary in the given country.
Armenia had 61.9 lawyers per 100,000 inhabitants compared to the European average of 162. Azerbaijan had just nine per 100,000, the lowest of any surveyed country.
Armenia had a low percentage of females among professional judges (25%). That compared to Scotland (27%) and England and Wales (34%). Only in Azerbaijan was the share of female judges lower (12%). The Europe-wide average was 51%.
2.6 Polls & Sociology
Georgia gains one place in WEF Global Competitiveness Index
Georgia climbs up Fraser’s Economic Freedom ranking
Georgia ranked 66th among the 140 countries surveyed for the 2018 Global Competitiveness Index, released by the World Economic Forum (WEF) on October 17. A year earlier, the country took 67th place among 135 states.
In the Enabling Environment category, Georgia took positions 40, 72, 45, and 72 for Institutions, Infrastructure, ICT adoption and Macroeconomic Stability, respectively.
In Human Capital, it placed in position 80 for Health and 45 for Skills.
In Markets, the positions attained were 42, 31, 88 and 102 for Product Market, Labour Market, Financial System and Market Size, respectively. In the Innovation Ecosystem category, Georgia ranked 53 for Business Dynamism and 85 for Innovation Capability.
Georgia has climbed up another place in the Fraser Institute’s Economic Freedom of The World r anking, reaching seventh position of 123 countries rated and placing ahead of Canada and Australia and close to the US. The ranking is based on data as of 2016.
The country in the South Caucasus scored 8.02 out of 10, less than one point behind the leader Hong Kong, which was given 8.97.
Georgia scored particularly well in terms of international trade (8.56 points, seventh best) and regulations (8.49 points, eighth best). Despite a good score of9.22,itrankedonly63r d intermsof“soundmoney”.Thatparameter measures the level and volatility of inflation, the monetary aggregates’ dynamics and the freedom to own forex bank accounts.
Georgia marked a significant improvement in terms of regulations: moving up to 8.49 from 8.04 one year earlier, marking twice the extent of progress seen in the previous 10 years. It was particularly the sub-score for labour market regulations that improved, from 6.45 to 7.82.
The business regulations sub-score deteriorated marginally, going from 7.85
12 GEORGIA Country Report November 2018 www.intellinews.com