Second panel of the HQCJ disrupts public involvement in qualification assessment of judges

This week, on November 19, the Second Panel of the High Qualification Commission of Judges (composed of Volkova, Sydorovych, and Kydysiuk) decided that public involvement is not necessary in the process of qualification assessment. This decision breaches prior agreements. What exactly happened?

The Public Integrity Council (PIC) reported that the Second Panel of the HQCJ deemed judges Shkarlat and Chubai fit for their positions. This decision was made despite the fact that the PIC had not provided its opinions on these judges, had not communicated with them, nor received any explanations from them.

The reason is simple: the PIC has still not been granted the right to copy information from judges’ dossiers, preventing it from thoroughly analyzing the records of these judges. This issue was known to the Commission. Back in August 2024, the HQCJ and the PIC had agreed to schedule hearings exclusively for judges whose information was fully accessible to both bodies. However, Volkova, Sydorovych, and Kydysiuk violated this agreement.

What’s the Outcome?

The HQCJ’s position prohibiting PIC members from copying information from judges’ dossiers slows down the qualification assessment process, thereby delaying both judicial reform and the cleansing of the judiciary. Moreover, the decision of the Second Panel violates Ukraine’s commitment to ensure significant public participation in judicial qualification assessments. This requirement has been explicitly emphasized by the European Commission in its latest report.

The effectiveness of the HQCJ is directly tied to Ukraine’s progress toward EU membership and continued support from international partners.