A month ago, on April 24, 2023, NGOs have already made a statement calling on the Venice Commission and the EU not to approve the Constitutional Court reform model suggested by the Parliament at that time. We are grateful that our concerns were accommodated and the Ukrainian authorities changed their stance on the key provisions… Continue reading We call on the Venice Commission and the EU to stand firmly on the issue of independence of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine
Today, the members of the HCJ formed the new composition of the High Qualification Commission of Judges. It will include: Lyudmyla Volkova, Vitaliy Hatselyuk, Yaroslav Dukh, Nadiya Kobetska, Ruslan Melnyk, Andriy Pasichnyk, Roman Sabodash, Ruslan Sydorovych, Mykhailo Bohonis, Roman Ihnatov, Roman Kydysyuk, Oleh Koliush, Volodymyr Luhanskyi, Oleksiy Omelyan, Serhiy Chumak, Halyna Shevchuk. The reboot of… Continue reading The High Council of Justice formed the new HQCJ
On Friday, May 26, at 10:00 a.m., the Plenum of the Supreme Court, apparently, is going to elect the new President of the Supreme Court. This poses several threats. 📌First of all, a very dangerous situation is emerging when the selection of the new President of the Court will be influenced by those involved in… Continue reading Haste and candidates of low integrity: the election of the new President of the Supreme Council should be postponed
The Ethics Council was formed in November 2021 to reform the High Council of Justice, one of the key governance bodies within the Ukrainian judiciary. The role of the EC was to conduct thorough assessments of then-members of the HCJ and candidates for vacant HCJ positions. Holding the interviews behind closed doors The EC decided… Continue reading Setbacks of the Ethics Council
The arrest of the President of the Supreme Court, Vsevolod Kniazev, and the exposure of a large-scale corruption scheme in the Supreme Court, according to the judges themselves, became a “black day” for the judicial system of Ukraine. Furthermore, NABU and SAPO reported on attempts of the criminal group to influence the election of members… Continue reading We call on the HCJ to appoint members of the HQCJ promptly and transparently
Today, at a briefing of the heads of the SAPO and NABU regarding a large-scale corruption scheme in the Supreme Court, the director of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau, Semen Kryvonos, stated that the criminal group, among other things, tried to influence the election of members of the High Qualification Commission of Judges. Could this not… Continue reading A criminal group in the Supreme Court probably tried to influence the election of members of the HQCJ. Among them, perhaps, are those in respect of which the PIC issued negative conclusions
Yesterday NABU and SAPO announced that they had uncovered a large-scale corruption scheme involving the Supreme Court. The mass media reported that it considers receiving a bribe of approximately 3 million dollars by the President of the Supreme Court, Vsevolod Kniazev. Most likely, it is about the case regarding the recognition of the legality of… Continue reading Almost 3 million dollars in bribes: what did the investigation say about the corrupt “back office” of the Supreme Court, and what awaits its President?
We, non-governmental organisations dedicated to monitoring and promoting judicial reform, are considered by the situation when judges who are eligible for dismissal on account of misconduct are granted the option to evade retribution and get an honourable resignation. On April 27, the High Council of Justice will consider the resignation of the deputy head of… Continue reading NGOs urge not to consider the resignation of Yevheniy Ablov and other judges until the complaints against them are considered
This week, draft law No. 9225, which provides for further changes to the procedure for selecting judges of the Constitutional Court, was registered in the Verkhovna Rada. We have already explained why it does not correct previous errors in the procedure but only worsens it. In this article, we dispel the myths used by opponents of the… Continue reading External control and loss of sovereignty: 5 myths about the reform of the Constitutional Court
The Venice Commission and the European Commission may soon approve the Constitutional Court reform model, which contradicts the previous position of these institutions and the insistence of Ukrainian NGOs and will retain political control over the selection of its judges. Such a decision will pave the way for further concentration of power, undermine the historical… Continue reading We call on the Venice Commission and the EU not to push Ukraine towards an excessive concentration of power
Yesterday, draft law No. 9225 was published on the website of the Verkhovna Rada. It further politicises the procedure for selecting judges of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine (CCU). It should correct the errors in the law adopted at the end of 2022 but instead worsens the already politicised competition for the CCU. The newly adopted law provides for… Continue reading No independent CCU: new draft law No. 9225 strengthens the government’s control over the Constitutional Court under the guise of European integration
On Friday, April 7, the High Council of Justice announced in an official release that interviews with candidates for the High Qualification Commission of Judges will not only take place without live broadcast but also “without the participation of representatives of the public and mass media”. However, the law clearly establishes that interviews with candidates for the… Continue reading Behind closed doors: the HCJ will completely close the interviews with candidates for the HQCJ, violating the law
