Activity of the HCJ Secretariat in figures during January-March 2023
During the first quarter of 2023, employees of the HCJ secretariat considered 1253 citizens’ appeals and 109 requests for information; 493 cover letters on sending copies of the acts of the HCJ and its bodies were prepared, 1226 copies of the acts of the HCJ, its bodies and members of the HCJ were issued, 5021 pages of draft documents of the HCJ were edited. For this period 767 appeals from citizens were received to the HCJ hotline at the telephone number: (044) 481-06-26.
On April 10, 2023, the HCJ satisfied the petition of the Deputy Prosecutor General – Head of the SAPO and granted consent on taking into custody the judge of the Kyivskyi district court of Odesa Liudmyla Saltan.
The HCJ considers that the motives provided in the petition are reasonable, confirmed by provided to the Council materials that contain specific facts and evidence which can prove the commitment by a judge to a socially dangerous act, defined by the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The petition complies with legal requirements, contains reasoning of the necessity of implying such preventive measure to a judge as taking under custody.
105 judges have been dismissed since the beginning of 2023
During January – March 2023 the HCJ decided to dismiss 105 judges on general grounds: 96 judges were dismissed due to the submission of applications for resignation, 9 judges – due to the submission of applications for resignation by their own will.
HCJ dismissed seven judges on general grounds
On April 11, 2023, the HCJ decided to dismiss due to the submission of applications for resignation:
- Lazareva Hanna Mykolaivna – from the office of judge of the Korabelnyi district court of Mykolaiv;
- Sadovskyi Kostiantyn Serhiiovych – from the office of judge of the Kyivskyi district court of Kharkiv;
- Nikolaieva Iryna Kostiantynivna – from the office of judge of the Petropavlivskyi district court of Dnipropetrovsk region;
- Yashchenko Mykola Anatoliiovych – from the office of judge of the Kyiv court of appeal;
- Lahniuk Mykola Mykhailovych – from the office of judge of the Supreme Court.
Hnoievyi Serhii Serhiiovych was dismissed from the office of judge of the Ordzhonikidzevskyi district court of Mariupol of Donetsk region by his own will.
On April 13, 2023, the HCJ dismissed Kostiv Tetiana Serhiivna from the office of the judge of the Lviv commercial court of appeal due to the submission of application for resignation.
During its session on April 11, 2023, the HCJ made a decision on the termination of the resignation of judge Oleh Yushchuk due to entering into force of the conviction regarding committing by him an intentional crime.
The High Anti-Corruption Court by its conviction defined Yushchuk O.S. guilty of committing a criminal offense, provided by part two of Article 3692 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, and ordered a punishment of imprisonment for three years.
During January – March 2023, the HCJ received 40 notifications on interference in the professional activity of judges regarding administering justice and actions that violate guarantees of independence of judges or undermine the authority of justice. Taking into account notifications that were received in previous periods, the HCJ has considered 55 notifications from judges since the beginning of this year.
HCJ members and experts of the Council of Europe project “Ensuring the effective implementation of the right to a fair trial (Article 6 of the ECHR) in Ukraine” held consultations on the functioning of judicial (self-) governance bodies, systems of disciplinary liability of judges and judicial training, and also assessment of judges in Ukraine.
HCJ seconded a judge to the Chutivskyi district court of Poltava region for administering justice
To prevent the termination of administering justice and regulate the workload in the Chutivskyi district court of Poltava region, on April 13, 2023, the HCJ made a decision to second for administering justice judge of the Dobropilskyi city district court of Donetsk region Khomenko Dmytro Yevhenovych to the mentioned court for a period of one year from April 24, 2023.
Interviews with candidates for the position of a member of the HQCJU will be broadcasted
At its session on April 13, 2023, the HCJ made amends to the Methodology for conducting interviews, selection and appointment of candidates for the position of a member of the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine, providing the possibility of broadcasting of interviews in the real-time in order to provide the maximum level of trust to the procedure of appointment of members of the HQCJU. Video recordings of all interviews will be published before a decision is made on the appointment of a member of the HQCJU.
The HCJ Chairman Hryhorii Usyk noted that by reconsideration of its decision, the Council demonstrated openness and readiness for constructive dialogue with society.
Secondment procedure of judges to three courts has begun
According to its decisions of April 13, 2023, No. 354/0/15-23, No. 355/0/15-23 and No. 356/0/15-23, the HCJ announces the beginning of the procedure for seconding judges to another court of the same level and specialization for administering justice, namely to:
- the Sykhivskyi district court of Lviv – 1 judge;
- the Umanskyi city district court of Cherkasy region – 3 judges;
- the Leninskyi district court of Kirovohrad – 2 judges.
Judges, who expressed the wish to be seconded to the mentioned courts, must submit to the HCJ within ten days (from the date of the announcement of the beginning of the procedure for seconding judges) necessary documents. The list of documents is here.
When to expect the appointment of members of the HQCJU? At what stage is the process of launching the disciplinary inspectors’ service? Have processes regarding collaborating judges been initiated in the HCJ? What steps will really contribute to increasing the authority of justice? These and other questions were answered in the interview to “Yurydychna praktyka” by HCJ Chairman Hryhorii Usyk.