A figure in an investigation and a judge with problematic declarations: whom did the Supreme Court elect to the Grand Chamber?

Today, the Supreme Court elected to the Grand Chamber a figure from the Schemes: Corruption in Detail investigation, Nadiia Stefaniv, as well as judge Anatolii Yemets, who has a negative opinion from the Public Integrity Council. The Grand Chamber is a body within the Supreme Court that handles the most complex cases.

• Last week, journalists from Schemes published an investigation into the Supreme Court’s Criminal Court of Cassation judge Nadiia Stefaniv. According to journalists, Stefaniv has been living for several years in an apartment owned by her niece, a citizen of the Russian Federation, who had no official income to purchase it. In her 2024 declaration, the judge indicated that she uses the apartment free of charge. However, the market value and the value declared by the judge differ by more than 3 million UAH. Stefaniv’s daughter, Nadiia Mykytyn, lives in another apartment also registered to the same relative from Russia. Since Mykytyn is currently applying for a position at an appellate court, she asked the HQCJ during her interview to consider questions about her property in a closed session.

• The other newly elected judge of the Grand Chamber is Anatolii Yemets from the Supreme Court’s Commercial Court of Cassation. The judge is known for providing false information in his declarations about rulings he issued as part of a panel and for concealing the real value of his property. For this, Yemets received a Public Integrity Council conclusion finding that he does not meet integrity criteria.

The appointment of Nadiia Stefaniv to the Grand Chamber of the Supreme Court amid a corruption scandal once again demonstrates that the country’s highest judicial institution is in deep crisis and has long since discredited itself. Beyond systematically issuing rulings that undermine judicial reform, the Supreme Court continues to make questionable personnel decisions that further destroy what remains of its reputation.

The DEJURE Foundation has repeatedly emphasised how the Supreme Court must be reformed. Without an effective vetting of the current judges and the selection of new ones with the participation of international experts, this institution will continue to be involved in corruption scandals, sabotage reforms, and obstruct the establishment of the rule of law.

Our European partners, in the latest European Commission report, also clearly stated that corruption risks in the Supreme Court must be addressed through improved integrity declarations. Unfortunately, members of Parliament plan to vote tomorrow on draft law No. 13165-2, which shields current Supreme Court judges from vetting.

Once again, we call to revise draft law No. 13165-2 and include mechanisms for the mandatory vetting of current Supreme Court judges with the participation of international experts through integrity declarations that will cover all aspects of their professional and private life.