How did the week go at the High Council of Justice? June 2-6, 2025

This week at the High Council of Justice was eventful and rich in telling decisions: dismissals of judges suspected of bribery and drunk driving, refusal to appoint candidates who failed to prove their integrity, and once again, attempts to protect the low-integrity judges. Here’s an overview of who the HCJ dismissed this week, who they blocked from joining the judiciary, and who they saved.

Positive decisions:

Filed for dismissal:

• Volodymyr Monych — judge of the Mukachevo District Court in Zakarpattia Oblast

In 2019, police stopped Monych showing signs of alcohol intoxication. He had an unsteady gait, smelled of alcohol, but refused to take a sobriety test and claimed he was “given a lift.” However, only the judge and the car were present at the scene. Despite the administrative protocol, in 2020, the case was closed after “witnesses” were found who testified to Monych’s innocence. The police officers were not summoned to court.

During the 2024 review, the disciplinary chamber heard from a police officer who confirmed under oath that he saw Monych exit the vehicle from the driver’s side. Bodycam footage was also reviewed, showing the judge not denying his intoxication. Nevertheless, the second disciplinary chamber of the HCJ, specifically members Salikhov, Burlakov, and Melnyk, decided not to hold Monych accountable.

This decision was appealed to the plenary composition of the HCJ. The rapporteur in the case, Yuliia Bokova, delayed it, and HCJ hearings were drawn out: the Council announced a recess for “additional clarification,” which lasted over a year. Despite this, justice prevailed and Monych was submitted for dismissal. The only vote against came from the head of the Supreme Court, HCJ member Stanislav Kravchenko.

• Serhii Burkhan — head of the Verkhnodniprovsk Court in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast

The judge is accused of accepting a $2,500 bribe for lifting a seizure from property seized in criminal proceedings. Moreover, he has headed the court continuously since 2007, effectively circumventing term limits. The complaint against Serhii Burkhan was prepared by DEJURE Foundation lawyers. Ultimately, the HCJ dismissed the judge.

Not appointed to judicial positions:

• Oleksandr Bessonov — candidate for the Teplodar City Court in Odesa Oblast

According to Bessonov’s declarations, his wife purchased a 135 sq m apartment for (attention!) $5,500. The market price of such a property is at least ten times higher. Bessonov claimed the purchase occurred “at the foundation stage,” but by that time, the building had already been constructed. His declaration also included a Bentley Continental listed at $4,000, although even in 2025, such a car costs at least $35,000.

At the June 3 hearing, new facts emerged: undeclared additional income of $16,000 and €5,000, a “mistake” in the previous year’s declaration, lack of explanation regarding his wife’s property rights, no declared income, and refusal to provide bank statements for the past two years.

It also became known that he had evaded military service — Bessonov did not report to the enlistment office, explaining it with a “queue,” and the related fine was “accidentally” quickly handled by an overloaded court.

When it came to voting, the proposal NOT to appoint him was supported only by Maselko, Kvasha, Melnyk, Kandziuba, and Lukianov. A majority of 10 HCJ members voted in favour of his appointment. However, they were four votes short, so Bessonov was not appointed.

• Oleksandr Vikhrov — candidate for the Commercial Court of Zaporizhzhia Oblast

In 2023, Vikhrov filed for divorce and for custody of two children. Neither he nor his wife appeared in court, the guardianship authority was not involved, and the children’s opinions were not considered. Three days after the “divorce,” Vikhrov married his former sister-in-law, who has a child of her own. This gave him the status of a father of many children and, within a few days, a deferment from mobilisation. These actions indicate signs of a sham divorce and marriage to avoid military service.

There are also questions about his financial situation — specifically a land plot, a BMW and a Lexus, with no confirmed legal source of income. Based on the proposal of the case rapporteur, Roman Maselko, 11 HCJ members voted to reject Vikhrov’s appointment. Four voted against (Burlakov, Sasevych, Kotelevets, Kravchenko).

Negative decisions:

The High Council of Justice unanimously granted an honourable retirement to Valentyna Kovalenko, judge of the Korosten District Court in Zhytomyr Oblast.

The judge repeatedly let drunk drivers avoid liability. Kovalenko had previously received a warning for releasing offenders with verbal reprimands. She claimed the violations were “insignificant,” the drivers were “young,” “unemployed,” and the “Dräger showed a low reading,” while she had a heavy caseload.

Furthermore, another disciplinary case had been opened against the judge, based on a complaint from the DEJURE Foundation and Automaidan. It concerned her unlawful release of drunk drivers from punishment due to minor offence claims, despite the law directly prohibiting this. The case was scheduled for a hearing on June 11, just days away.

Rapporteur Maselko proposed postponing the retirement until the disciplinary case was reviewed. However, the HCJ decided not to wait for the outcome and instead granted her an “honourable” retirement with lifelong benefits.

Despite attempts by certain HCJ members to protect low-integrity judges or questionable candidates, this week the Council showed it is still capable of making just decisions. We welcome the submission to dismiss Monych and Burkhan, and the refusal to appoint Bessonov and Vikhrov. Such responses to misconduct, ethical breaches, and manipulation are steps toward cleansing the judiciary. However, even this may soon become impossible — MPs led by Denys Maslov, head of the Parliamentary Committee on Legal Policy, have initiated a draft law that effectively eliminates disciplinary liability for judges. If it becomes law, dismissing judges caught drunk driving, accepting bribes, collaborating with the enemy, and many others will become virtually impossible.