The selection commission for the Constitutional Court is almost formed. The President appointed a member under his quota

On October 16, Volodymyr Zelensky appointed Oksana Vasylchenko, the director of the Law Institute at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, to the Advisory Group of Experts (AGE). Joining her as deputy is Ihor Protsyuk from Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University.

With this appointment, the formation of the AGE nears completion, pending the final decision of the Verkhovna Rada. In the previous week, the Parliamentary Legal Committee recommended Natalia Kuznetsova from the National Academy of Legal Sciences and Vasyl Shakun, a professor at the National Academy of Internal Affairs, as her deputy.

Within the Constitutional Court, there are already five judges loyal to the current political authorities. The filling of the remaining five vacancies will determine whether a majority aligned with the government is established or if political appointees remain in the minority. Thus, the role of the AGE becomes pivotal in shaping the character of the Constitutional Court — whether it will emerge as an independent body.

It is noteworthy that the AGE comprises three independent international experts who wield a significant voting influence. However, the presence of Yaroslav Romanyuk, a delegate from the Council of Judges and the former President of the Supreme Court of Ukraine during Yanukovych’s era, raises concerns. Romanyuk had previously endorsed the dictatorship “January 16” laws.