The Supreme Court may reinstate the scandalous Inna Otrosh and the Kyiv Appeal judges as soon as tomorrow. Come to the hearing!

While the public is focused on the “series” of investigations by NABU and SAPO, the Supreme Court, almost unnoticed, may tomorrow reinstate several scandalous former judges: Inna Otrosh and the judges of the Kyiv Court of Appeal — Yurii Slyva, Viktor Hlynianyi, and Ihor Palenyk. Moreover, the Court’s decisions in these cases could affect dozens of other dismissed judges, including the notorious Pavlo Vovk.

Who is Inna Otrosh?

Inna Otrosh, a former judge of the Kyiv Commercial Court, is the daughter of Inna Otrosh Sr., an influential official from the Yanukovych era. Her mother appears to have paved her way to comfort and privilege: a transfer from a Luhansk court to the capital without competition, a suburban mansion of over 500 m², two Kyiv apartments totalling nearly 250 m², a Lexus, and yet another 139-m² apartment in a luxury building in central Kyiv.

Otrosh refused to explain the origins of these assets during interviews with both the HQCJ and the HCJ — and this became the main reason for her dismissal. Therefore, if the Grand Chamber decides to reinstate Otrosh, it would send a clear message to other judges: you can hide your wealth and face no consequences.

After Russia’s aggression in 2014, Judge Otrosh Jr. regularly visited “relatives” in occupied Crimea and in St. Petersburg. During her HQCJ interview, she claimed that the occupation of Crimea was “the fault of Ukrainian state authorities that failed to ensure border security at the time.”

Otrosh is now appealing her 2024 dismissal following the qualification assessment, arguing that she allegedly completed it back in 2019 (spoiler: she didn’t — she never had a mandatory interview before the full HQCJ, as required by law). Interestingly, just last week, the Grand Chamber ruled in a similar but less notorious case and cancelled the results of another judge’s assessment — that of Maryna Lozynska. It appears that the ruling was made precisely to pave the way for Otrosh’s comfortable reinstatement.

Who are the Kyiv Court of Appeal judges Palenyk, Hlynianyi, and Slyva?

In autumn 2023, NABU and SAPO exposed them for taking a $35,000 bribe in exchange for overturning the seizure of a private company’s property. According to investigators, the judges hid the bribe money in whisky boxes, coffee packages, and even promotional brochures of an internet provider.

The High Council of Justice dismissed all three judges based on evidence obtained through covert investigative actions (CIAs). The judges are now challenging these dismissals, claiming that the HCJ had no right to use CIA materials in disciplinary proceedings.

The same argument is being used by the infamous former head of the District Administrative Court of Kyiv, Pavlo Vovk. Thus, if the Grand Chamber sides with the “coffee-lovers,” it would create a legal foothold for the reinstatement of Vovk — and of all corrupt judges whose criminal cases have not yet reached a final verdict.

Interestingly, the Supreme Court delayed publishing the hearing schedule and ignored phone inquiries — suggesting that the judges may prefer to avoid “unwanted attention” at these high-profile hearings. Let’s make sure they don’t pass shameful rulings in silence — come to the hearings!

Where: Kyiv, 4-A Pylypa Orlyka St. (Grand Chamber of the Supreme Court)

When: Thursday, November 13

Otrosh case: 10:00

Judges of the Kyiv Court of Appeal case: 15:00