Cleansing in action: the High Council of Justice dismisses judge Otrosh from the list of 180 low-integrity judges

On October 10, the High Council of Justice (HCJ) took a step towards cleansing the judiciary. By majority vote, the notorious judge Inna Otrosh was dismissed. The dissenting votes came from Serhii Burlakov, Vitalii Salikhov, and Inna Plakhtii.

During the hearing, rapporteur Oleh Kandziuba emphasized his recommendation to dismiss Inna Otrosh based on a Supreme Court ruling that rejected her lawsuit. However, this victory is not final, as over 170 other judges on the “list of 180” still have a chance to fight their cases.

We express our gratitude to the HCJ for its constructive and objective decision, which will strengthen public trust in the judiciary.

The High Qualification Commission of Judges (HQCJ) has also taken a stance on judges influenced by the Supreme Court’s decision regarding judge Usaty.

Who is Inna Otrosh?

• Since the beginning of Russia’s military aggression in 2014, Otrosh has regularly travelled to the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea and twice to the Russian Federation, particularly to Saint Petersburg.
• As the daughter of Otrosh Sr., a powerful figure from Yanukovych’s regime, Otrosh Jr. claimed there was no active combat in Crimea and that the state did not resist Russian occupation. She argued that, as an “ordinary citisen,” she had the right to vacation there.
• Moreover, her mother not only likely facilitated her transfer to a Kyiv court but also gifted her large amounts of valuable property, from luxury cars to apartments in central Kyiv.