The commission did NOT recommend appointing a new member to the HCJ: what’s next?

Last week, the President’s selection commission for candidates for the High Council of Justice (HCJ) did not recommend that the President appoint a new member from the recent competition.

Earlier, the Ethics Council, which conducted interviews, recommended two candidates for appointment: Andriy Zhuk, a judge of the Administrative Court of Cassation within the Supreme Court, and Dmytro Davydchuk, a senior detective of NABU. There are reasonable doubts about the integrity of both candidates, which we have detailed here.

Specifically, the Ethics Council tried to clarify the origin of the property owned by Davydchuk’s wife, while Judge Zhuk is known for exonerating “Maidan judge” Vladyslava Hudym, who had detained a participant in the Revolution of Dignity with her decision.

A new competition for this position will likely be announced, as well as for the position that the President has not filled for over a year.

Unfortunately, while the list of finalists could indeed have been better, this situation sets a dangerous precedent. In the future, even with the Ethics Council recommending ideal candidates, the President may refuse to appoint them for political reasons. This poses a risk of reverting to a system where the most loyal rather than the most independent and competent candidates will be selected for the HCJ.