Formation complete: HCJ appoints the Service of Disciplinary Inspectors Head

Today, on December 12th, the High Council of Justice (HCJ) appointed Taras Kuzyk as the new Head of the Service of Disciplinary Inspectors (SDI). This marks the full establishment of the SDI, with operations set to commence on December 23.

The SDI is an independent body within the HCJ, established to address the backlog of disciplinary complaints and accelerate their resolution. The law establishing the DIS was adopted back in September 2023. We expect that the service will act independently in carrying out its functions and not simply serve as a “tool” for HCJ members.

Additionally, disciplinary inspectors must adhere to the rules of case prioritization as outlined in the Council’s regulations. Currently, the HCJ has a backlog of complaints involving a majority of judges from the scandalous District Administrative Court of Kyiv, as well as judges with property or corruption-related issues, such as Khytruk and Dashutin. Inspectors must also ensure that judges of low integrity cannot resign to evade accountability when their dismissal is likely due to pending disciplinary complaints or failure to pass the qualification assessment.

DEJURE Foundation welcomes the SDI formation. Civil society has fought long and hard for the creation of this body. We now look forward to the SDI delivering tangible results.