The Advisory Group of Experts announced the candidates who advanced to the next stage of the selection for the Constitutional Court of Ukraine

On 7 April, the Advisory Group of Experts (AGE) completed the assessment of moral qualities within the selection process for two vacant positions on the Constitutional Court of Ukraine (CCU) under the Parliament’s quota.

Out of 15 candidates who reached the interview stage, 10 were found to meet the criterion of high moral qualities: Hanna Anisimova, Andrii Boiko, Vladyslav Ivashchenko, Yuliia Kyrychenko, Kostiantyn Krasovskyi, Ivan Nazarov, Tetiana Opanasiuk, Zakhar Tropin, Taras Tsymbalistyi, and Oksana Shcherbaniuk.

At the same time, the following candidates were found not to meet this criterion: Yurii Melnyk, Sviatoslav Onishchuk, Svitlana Sriebranets, and Nataliia Siur.

No decision was adopted regarding the candidate Roman Sabodash, as only one international member of the AGE voted in favour of his candidacy. A minimum of four votes is required for a decision, including at least two votes from international experts.

Candidates who received a positive opinion from the Advisory Group of Experts proceed to the next stage of the selection — a written assessment of professional competence. There are currently five vacancies in the Constitutional Court: two under the Parliament’s quota, one under the President’s quota, and two under the Congress of Judges’ quota.

A fully functioning Constitutional Court is one of the key criteria for Ukraine’s progress toward the European Union. Ukraine has already received recognition from the EU and obtained candidate status precisely due to reforming the procedure for selecting Constitutional Court judges. However, the accession process will not move forward if judges are not appointed to the Constitutional Court in a timely manner and without delays. This requirement is one of the ten critical reforms in the areas of anti-corruption and justice on Ukraine’s path to the European Union.

However, the appointment process remains stalled. In October 2025, Parliament failed to appoint candidates selected by the AGE, and the competition had to be restarted. The President has been delaying the selection of a candidate under his quota, while the Congress of Judges continues to propose candidates who fail to meet competence requirements, repeatedly resetting the process.

In November 2026 and March 2027, the terms of two more judges will expire. If appointments are not made in time, the Constitutional Court may face the risk of losing its quorum.

The DEJURE Foundation is monitoring the selection process and emphasises that vacancies must be filled without delay and in accordance with transparent rules. Professional and high-integrity judges must be appointed to the Constitutional Court. This is essential, among other things, for Ukraine to fulfil its obligations to the European Union.