Encasing or encapsulating the granular column within geosynthetic material can eliminate its dependence on the lateral support offered by the surrounding soil. The aforementioned development was regarded as a noteworthy achievement within the construction sector. The vertical load capacity of soft soil reinforced by geosynthetic encased granular columns has mostly been the subject of previous studies. However, granular columns also experience severe shear loading, specifically in columns close to the toe of embankments or retaining walls, and shear due to earthquake-induced forces. This paper details an experimental investigation for evaluating the behavior exhibited by non-encased granular columns and geosynthetic encased granular columns when subjected to lateral shear. Large-scale direct shear tests were conducted to examine the improvement in the lateral load-resisting capacity of soil reinforced with the geosynthetic encased column compared to an ordinary column. The results indicated that the geosynthetic encasement adds extra confinement to the aggregates used as column infill, thus reflecting the qualitative improvement in the shear strength of the soil-column composite. The column-infill material characteristics were also found to have a considerable impact on the shear response of the composite.