To Save Low-Integrity Judges: The Judicial Mafia Tries to Pressure the High Qualification Commission of Judges

The High Qualification Commission of Judges (HQCJ) has called the searches conducted by the State Bureau of Investigations (SBI) at the Commission’s premises and the residence of Oleksii Omelian “pressure” on the body. The reason is the alleged interference with the organ’s information systems during the qualification assessment of judges in the summer of 2024. Notably, that was the first time in many years that the odious Pavlo Vovk from the District Administrative Court of Kyiv appeared for the exam. And what a coincidence — the exam was disrupted due to repeated questions. Now, a ruling in this criminal case has become the basis for the search of the Commission.

But this is not the only criminal case. HQCJ members have also been summoned for questioning regarding the alleged violation of the privacy of the notorious Maidan judge Oksana Tsarevych from the Pechersk District Court of Kyiv. Additionally, the SBI decided to search Oleksii Omelian’s residence following a complaint by pro-Russian politician Maksym Buzhanskyi. According to him, the HQCJ deputy head allegedly provided false testimony in the case of former judge of the Makariv District Court of Kyiv Oblast, Oleksii Tandyr, who is accused of a fatal traffic accident.

This investigative activity is directly linked to the HQCJ’s agenda for this month. In March 2025, the Commission plans to conduct interviews with judges of the DACK, Pavlo Vovk and Yevhenii Ablov, as well as judges of the Pechersk District Court of Kyiv — Serhii Vovk, Ruslan Kozlov, Viktor Kytsiuk, and Kristina Konstantinova. Notably, Oleksii Omelian is the rapporteur in the case of six judges from the Pechersk District Court, including Judge Tsarevych — one of those who filed a complaint against the HQCJ with the SBI.

It seems that the judicial mafia, using the SBI as its tool, is trying to protect low-integrity judges from accountability rather than investigate legal violations. DEJURE Foundation will continue to monitor the situation closely.