Activity of the HCJ Secretariat in figures for January 2024
Since the beginning of this year, 348 appeals from citizens and 76 requests for information have been considered by employees of the Secretariat of the High Council of Justice. For the first month of 2024, 275 appeals from citizens were received to the HCJ hotline at the telephone number: (044) 481-06-26.
For the period 1319 cover letters on sending copies of the acts of the HCJ and its bodies were also prepared, 1500 copies of the acts of the HCJ, its bodies and members of the HCJ were issued, 3035 pages of draft documents of the HCJ were edited.
22 judges were dismissed since the beginning of 2024
18 judges were dismissed on general grounds, in particular, under submission of application for resignation.
4 judges were dismissed on special grounds, namely for committing a significant disciplinary misdemeanour.
On February 12, 2024, the HCJ member Oleksandr Sasevych held online meeting with representatives of the Dutch-Ukrainian Project “Fair, Transparent and Accountable Criminal Justice System in Ukraine”. The main focus of the project was devoted to the development of an integrity policy, which is planned to be implemented in the courts.
On February 8, 2024, the HCJ established the Working group on the development of Unified indicators for assessing the integrity and professional ethics of a judge (candidate for the position of judge), which has already held its first organizational meeting.
In courts of discussion, the parties stated that currently quite different approaches to defining the concept of integrity have been developed. And the main challenge facing both the specified HCJ Working group and the project team is the unification of these approaches and their further practical implementation.
On February 8, 2024, by decision of the HCJ the Working group was established to develop Unified indicators, which included members of the HCJ, HQCJU, PIC and representatives of international projects: the USAID Justice for All Activity, the EU Project Pravo-Justice, Support to the functioning of justice in the war and post-war context in Ukraine, International Development Law Organization (IDLO) in Ukraine.
At the first founding meeting, members of the Working group on the development of Unified indicators for assessing the integrity and professional ethics of a judge (candidate for the position of judge) discussed the format of their activities and made proposals for the scope and content of the future document.
HCJ will make submission to the President of Ukraine on appointment of four judges
On February 13, 2024 the HCJ decided to make submission to the President of Ukraine on appointment of:
Hordiichuk Nataliia Oleksiivna – to the position of judge of the Rivnenskyi local court of Rivne region;
Foroshchuk Svitlana Anatoliivna – to the position of judge of the Starobilskyi district court of Luhansk region;
Danchuk Vitalii Valeriiovych – to the position of judge of the Luhinskyi district court of Zhytomyr region.
On February 15, 2024 the HCJ took decision to make submission to the President of Ukraine on appointment of KachalenkoYevhen Volodymyrovych to the position of judge of the Dzerzhynskyi local court of Donetsk region.
HCJ transferred two judges of the High Economic Court of Ukraine to courts of appeal
On February 13, 2024, the HCJ took decision on transferring of judges of the High Economic Court of Ukraine to the positions of judges of courts of appeal, in particular:
Polishchuk Volodymyr Yuzefovych – to the position of judge of the Northern Economic Court of Appeal;
Panova Iryna Yuriivna – to the position of judge of the Western Economic Court of Appeal.
Since the beginning of 2024 the HCJ has decided to make submission to the President of Ukraine on appointment of 6 judges to the position of local courts, of which:
4 judges — to local general courts;
2 judhes — to local economic courts.
16 judges were dismissed on general grounds
On February 13, 2024 the HCJ took decision to dismiss 10 judges due to submission of application for resignation. The list is here.
The HCJ has also decided to dismiss Koshil Nataliia Mykhailivna from the office of judge of the Katerynopilskyi district court of Cherkassy region at her own will.
On February 15, 2024 the HCJ took decision to dismiss 5 judges due to submission of application for resignation. The list is here.
During January 2024, the HCJ received 19 reports on interference with the professional activities of judges in the administration of justice, on actions that violate the guarantees of judicial independence or undermine the authority of justice. Taking into account the reports received in previous periods, during first month of 2024 the HCJ considered 13 reports of judges.
By results of consideration of 6 reports on interference with the activities of judges in the administration of justice, 6 decisions were made to take response measures. Having considered 7 reports of judges, the HCJ took 3 decisions to approve 6 opinions of the HCJ members on the absence of grounds for taking measures to ensure the independence of judges and the authority of justice.
January 2024, the HCJ took one decision on giving consent to take a judge into custody
During first month of 2024, the HCJ received 8 petitions of the Prosecutor General`s Office on temporary suspension and extension of the term of temporary suspension of a judge from the administration of justice due to bringing to criminal responsibility.
By results of consideration of the petitions during January 2024 the HCJ took:
- 3 decisions to satisfy petitions of the Prosecutor General`s Office on temporary suspension of a judge from the administration of justice due to bringing to criminal responsibility;
- 4 decisions to extend the term of temporary suspension of a judge from the administration of justice due to bringing to criminal responsibility;
- 1 decision to return without consideration petition on temporary suspension of a judge from the administration of justice.
The Regulations the Selection Commission for Conducting Competition to the positions of the Head of the Service of Disciplinary Inspector and his/her deputy, disciplinary inspector, were published on the official website of the HCJ.
The document regulates the work procedure of the Selection Commission and is aimed at implementing the powers defined by the Law of Ukraine “On the High Council of Justice”.
The competition for the position of the Head of the Service of Disciplinary Inspector and his/her deputy, disciplinary inspector of the HCJ was announced on December 19, 2023, the acceptance of documents lasted from January 10, 2024 to February 14, 2024.
During this time, 415 candidates submitted documents (539 applications)
More details – follow the link.
In order to ensure the independence of judges and the authority of justice in terms of proper funding and conditions for the functioning of courts, bodies and institutions of the justice system in 2024 and 2025-2027, the High Council of Justice submitted a corresponding appeal to the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.
Full text of appeal approved by the decision of the HCJ dated February 13, 2024 № 415/0/15-24.