Ethics Council recommends candidates for the High Council of Justice

On 14 July, the Ethics Council found five candidates for the High Council of Justice to meet the criteria of professional ethics and integrity. They are Iryna Davydovych, Oleksandr Zhytnyi, Lesia Muzyka, Ivan Nazarov, and Tetiana Tsuvina.

Five candidates were found not to meet the criteria. They are Pavlo Hultai, Mykola Kucheriavenko, Yaroslav Melnyk, Raisa Minchenko, and Nataliia Savinova.

This competition for the High Council of Justice is being held under the quota for representatives of higher education institutions. Next, on 27 August, a congress of academics is to elect a new member of the High Council of Justice, but questions remain about some of the candidates.

During Tetiana Tsuvina’s interview, it emerged that the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office had sent a letter concerning possible influence on members of the commission that selected the head of the National Agency on Corruption Prevention, where Tsuvina had served as deputy head. The letter reportedly referred, among other things, to synchronised voting by commission members in favour of a pro-government candidate. The candidate herself denied any pressure or communication with the Cabinet of Ministers regarding the candidates and stated that she is not the subject of any criminal proceedings. Part of the interview was held in closed session.

Filling the vacant seats on the High Council of Justice is indeed necessary. Due to a lack of quorum, the Council cannot consider important matters, including those concerning judges of the liquidated DACK. Now the delegates of the congress of academics must elect a worthy candidate to the High Council of Justice — one who will strengthen the Council’s work and not raise doubts about its independence.