Amendments approved on 28 October 2026 require an institutional commission to check the grounds for treatment every 2 months and a court to review them every 6 months.
The Parliament of Georgia has approved regular checks on whether the reasons for ordering compulsory psychiatric treatment still apply. The amendments passed at their third and final reading, JAMnews said.
Parliament adopted the amendments on 28 October 2026 under an expedited procedure, Publika said. Under the existing legal framework it described, a criminal-court judge can order compulsory psychiatric treatment for up to 4 years.
MPs from the governing Georgian Dream party said the amendments respond to a ruling by the Constitutional Court of Georgia. On 30 April 2026, the court upheld the constitutional challenge brought by the Public Defender of Georgia concerning the grounds for compulsory psychiatric treatment, courts' authority to order it and its duration.
The amendments change the Law on Mental Health, the Criminal Procedure Code and the Administrative Procedure Code. Both scheduled reviews must examine whether the grounds on which treatment was ordered still exist.
| Reviewer | Interval | Required action |
|---|---|---|
| Psychiatric institution’s commission | Every 2 months | Examine whether the grounds for compulsory treatment still exist. |
| Court | Every 6 months | Review the grounds for treatment after the institution’s administration sends the commission’s decision and accompanying documents. |
The Public Defender of Georgia welcomed the changes and expressed hope that regular checks and additional court oversight would help prevent unjustifiably prolonged treatment and protect patients' rights.
Commission decisions concerning either compulsory psychiatric treatment or involuntary psychiatric treatment can be challenged through an administrative procedure. The treating physician also retains authority to approach the commission at any time if the physician believes the patient has recovered before the scheduled end of treatment.
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