The High Council of Justice formed the new HQCJ
Today, the members of the HCJ formed the new composition of the High Qualification Commission of Judges. It will include: Lyudmyla Volkova, Vitaliy Hatselyuk, Yaroslav Dukh, Nadiya Kobetska, Ruslan Melnyk, Andriy Pasichnyk, Roman Sabodash, Ruslan Sydorovych, Mykhailo Bohonis, Roman Ihnatov, Roman Kydysyuk, Oleh Koliush, Volodymyr Luhanskyi, Oleksiy Omelyan, Serhiy Chumak, Halyna Shevchuk.
The reboot of this judicial governance body is crucial both for the full functioning of the judiciary and for fulfilling the second out of the seven priorities stipulated by the European Commission. The new HQCJ will have two priority tasks: concluding the qualification assessment process and selecting over 2,500 judges to fill vacant positions.
However, it is worth noting that the HCJ did not appoint the maximum number of individuals who could drive change within the new HQCJ, which would have been advantageous for the reform agenda. Specifically, no representatives from specialised NGOs were included in the HQCJ.
Instead, the HCJ appointed two members whose integrity or professionalism is doubtful. These individuals are as follows:
- Volodymyr Luhanskyi, who closed at least 54 cases related to drunk driving (according to Article 130 of the Administrative Code of Procedure).
- Lyudmyla Volkova, who apparently lied during the interview about the conversation with judge Bondarenko, who was pressured by the head of the court.
In any case, we will evaluate the new body based on its first results. Particularly noteworthy will be its initial decisions regarding the procedures for judge selection and assessment, including the establishment of the Public Integrity Council. These decisions will provide insights into the quality of the new HQCJ.
