Edition: Yuridicheskaya praktika
The HCJ received an information reference from the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine or February 24 – to March 26, 2022, which documented a number of violations, testifying to grave consequences of armed attack of the russian federation for our citizens.
The reference on the situation with human rights in Ukraine is an annex to the thirty-third Report of the UN Human Rights Monitoring mission of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights for the period from August 1, 2021, to January 31, 2022.
The document highlights serious violations of human rights and expresses the concern over the violations of international humanitarian law, which have been witnessed since the beginning of the armed attack of the russian federation on February 24, 2022.
Meeting of heads of bodies of the judiciary was held
By the initiative of the HCJ the regular meeting with the participation of the Chairman of the Supreme Court Vsevolod Kniaziev, Head of the CJU Bohdan Monich, Acting Chairman of the HCJ Viktor Hryshchuk, HCJ members Oksana Blazhivska, Inna Plakhtii, Vitalii Salikhov, temporary Acting Head of the SJA of Ukraine Oleksii Salnikov, Head of the Court Security Service Valerii Bondar was held.
The participants of the meeting discussed some organizational and financial issues of functioning of the justice system. Possible legal mechanisms of solution of existing issues were being coordinated.
In particular, it was about the necessity of accelerating of formation of the plenipotentiary composition of the HCJ to continue fulfilling constitutional functions. This possibility directly depends on the legislative regulation of aspects of holding congresses of subjects of delegation HCJ members and on the restoration of work of the Ethics Council and holding the check of candidates.
Given the reduction in the financial provision due to the costs of the war with the occupants, the possibility of optimization of usage of resources inside of the judicial system was being discussed. The participants of the meeting emphasized that holding an optimization should not harm the human resources of bodies and institutions of the justice system.
An issue of organization of the secondment of judges was also being discussed.
The Acting Chairman of the HCJ Viktor Hryshchuk informed that in March 2022, members of the Council and employees of the HCJ secretariat transferred to the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine around 400 thousand UAH, and also gave two cars, which Ukrainian fighters will be able to use in the field conditions. Apart from that, HCJ members take active participation in the organization of assistance to internally displaced citizens, in coordination of gathering, delivering and distributing humanitarian cargos, that arrive from abroad, in particular, from polish judges colleagues.
HCJ activities in martial law conditions
The HCJ, as constitutional body, is one of the most important institutions of the judiciary. Its constant predictable work positively influences the condition of administering justice in the state.
Viktor Hryshchuk, Oksana Blazhivska, Inna Plakhtii, Vitalii Salikhov, the Chairman of the Supreme Court Vsevolod Kniaziev continue working in the Council’s composition. Since the moment of the implementation of the martial law, members of the High Council of Justice did not stop activity for a day and actively responded to challenges that arose in front of the state and the judiciary.
These activities of members of the High Council of Justice were conducted by such main directions:
- initiation the political and legal reaction of the international community to russia's war crimes in Ukraine, consolidation of efforts to gather evidence to punish aggressors;
- initiation and participation in events on settlement of problematic issues of the functioning of the judiciary;
- establishing and coordinating cooperation with Polish colleagues to provide humanitarian assistance to our country;
- assistance to Ukrainian soldiers, temporarily displaced citizens.