How Did the Week Go at the High Council of Justice? April 21–25, 2025

Bribes worth tens of thousands of dollars, relocation to occupied territory, and disclosure of information from closed registries. Whom did the High Council of Justice (HCJ) review this week (April 21–25, 2025), and what decisions were made?

Positive developments:

• Yurii Slyva — judge of the Kyiv Court of Appeal.

Dismissed by a final decision of the full composition of the HCJ.

Judge’s background: He and his colleagues were caught taking a $35,000 bribe hidden in coffee and whiskey packages and ISP advertising brochures. Yurii Slyva became the last of the so-called “coffee lovers” to be dismissed.

• Viktoriia Yanchuk — judge of the Korostyshiv District Court in Zhytomyr Oblast.

Suspended from administering justice.

Judge’s background: In February 2025, judge Viktoriia Yanchuk was notified of suspicion for disclosing information about a criminal case. She learned of searches at her father’s home (a doctor) in connection with a case on fake medical certificates, found related rulings in the Unified State Register of Court Decisions, and passed that information to her family. The HCJ had previously suspended her and has now extended that suspension.

• Liudmyla Hrybanova — judge of the Lysychansk City Court, Luhansk Oblast (currently seconded to the Netishyn City Court, Khmelnytskyi Oblast).

Failed to “escape” into honorable retirement.

Judge’s background: Hrybanova did not find signs of encroachment on Ukraine’s territorial integrity in the actions of “LNR MP” Ivan Korovin. This ruling was highlighted by journalists from Ukrainska Pravda.

Earlier, the HCJ had already held her disciplinarily liable for closing a corruption-related case without the presence of the accused or the prosecutor.

Another complaint is currently pending before the HCJ, concerning her ties to the aggressor state and property matters. She is also undergoing qualification assessment by the High Qualifications Commission of Judges. At the same time, she tried to evade responsibility by filing for honorable retirement. However, on April 22, the HCJ blocked her attempt by suspending the review of her retirement application.

• Mykola Shershak — judge of the Zarichnyi District Court in the city of Sumy.

Dismissed by a final decision of the full composition of the HCJ.

Judge’s background: According to the investigation, in 2019 the judge took a $2,000 bribe in exchange for not punishing a drunk driver. He hid the money in a jar of canned peas. He is currently appealing his conviction. HCJ member Serhii Burlakov voted to stop the review of this case.

• Liubov Nemchenko — judge of the Commercial Court of Kherson Oblast.

Referred for dismissal by the HCJ’s Second Disciplinary Chamber.

Judge’s background: After the occupation of Kherson, Nemchenko was seconded to the Commercial Court of Odesa Oblast. However, she neither reported to her new court nor returned to government-controlled territory. After the de-occupation of Kherson, she moved to the Russian-controlled left bank of the Dnipro River. She currently resides in Simferopol and has not administered justice for over two years.

• Valentyna Kovalenko — judge of the Korosten City District Court in Zhytomyr Oblast.

A disciplinary case was opened against her by the Second Disciplinary Chamber based on a complaint filed by the DEJURE Foundation.

Judge’s background: Kovalenko dismissed multiple drunk driving cases due to “insignificance,” issuing only verbal warnings to offenders.

However, there are decisions that the HCJ could not adopt:

Ihor Kondrashov — judge of the Babushkin District Court in Dnipro.

Not suspended from administering justice.

Judge’s background: According to the investigation, Kondrashov unlawfully seized an apartment from a local resident. He has been notified of suspicion under articles concerning large-scale fraud and misleading the court. He faces up to 12 years in prison. The HCJ had previously suspended him until April 20. However, the Prosecutor General’s Office missed the deadline to request an extension, so the HCJ could not prolong his suspension.

The DEJURE Foundation welcomes the HCJ’s positive decisions, especially the conclusion of the “coffee lovers” saga at the Kyiv Court of Appeal. We hope to see more rulings in high-profile cases soon.