On June 9, 2025, the HCJ temporarily suspended a judge of the Shevchenkivskyi district court of the city of Dnipro from the administration of justice in connection with criminal prosecution until a court sentence enters into force or criminal proceedings are closed.
The judge is suspected of committing criminal offences, provided by Part 5 of Article 190, Part 2 of Article 384 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, including taking possession of somebody else's property by deceit or breach of confidence (fraud), committed under martial law, in respect of particularly large amounts; submitting knowingly false evidence committed for mercenary reasons (misleading a court).
Activity of the HCJ Secretariat in figures for January - May 2025
2536 appeals from citizens and 437 requests for information were processed by employees of the Secretariat of the High Council of Justice during five months of 2025; 4635 cover letters on sending copies of the acts of the HCJ and its bodies were prepared by employees of the Secretariat of the Council; 6629 copies of the acts of the HCJ, its bodies and members of the HCJ were issued, 10703 pages of draft documents of the HCJ were edited; 1037 appeals from citizens were received to the HCJ hotline at the telephone number: (044) 481-06-26.
During January–May 2025, 3291 acts of the HCJ, 1114 other documents and 274 news items and announcements were published on the official website of the High Council of Justice; 605 information materials were published on social media pages of the HCJ.
1264 information materials were published in the “News” section of the “Judiciary of Ukraine” portal.
On June 10, 2025, the HCJ took decision on dismissal under paragraph 3, Part 6 of Article 126 of the Constitution of Ukraine of judge of the Poltava court of appeal Tomylko Valentyn. This procedure was carried out on the basis of the submission of the Third Disciplinary Chamber of the HCJ.
The Chairman of the High Council of Justice, Hryhorii Usyk, attended the General Assembly of the European Network of Councils for the Judiciary at the invitation of Madeleine Mathieu, President of the European Network of Councils for the Judiciary, and Aigars Strupišs, President of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Latvia.
Following the meeting of the General Assembly of the European Network of Councils for the Judiciary, participants adopted the Riga Declaration, the preamble of which states that the rule of law is essential for upholding the fundamental values of human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality and human rights (Article 2 of the TEU) on which the European Union is founded. Observing the rule of law requires all public powers to act in accordance with these values, and within the constraints set out by law.
The text of the Riga Declaration will be published on the ENCJ website www.encj.eu
118 judges were dismissed during January-May 2025
92 judges were dismissed on general grounds, in particular:
- 90 judges were dismissed due to submission of applications for resignation;
- 2 judges of local courts dismissed due to submission of application at own volition.
The High Council of Justice dismissed 26 judges under special grounds, in particular:
- for committing a significant disciplinary misdemeanour – 18;
- under subparagraph 4 of paragraph 16¹ of Section XV “Transitional Provisions” of the Constitution of Ukraine according to the submissions with recommendation of the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine – 8.
The decision to bring the judge to disciplinary liability and impose disciplinary sanctions in the form of submission on dismissal from office was adopted by the Third Disciplinary Chamber of the HCJ on June 11, 2025.
During five months of 2025, the HCJ took decision on making submissions to the President of Ukraine on appointment of 45 judicial candidates, of which:
- to general local courts — 40 judges;
- to local economic courts — 3 judges;
- to the High Anti-Corruption Court – 2 judges.
During January – May 2025, the HCJ received 128 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, since the beginning of 2025 the HCJ considered 93 reports of judges.
By results of consideration of 44 reports on interference with the activities of judges in the administration of justice, 38 decisions were made to take response measures.
Having considered 49 reports of judges, the HCJ took 21 decisions to approve 44 opinions of the HCJ members on the absence of grounds for taking measures to ensure the independence of judges and the authority of justice.
The HCJ adopted 1 decision on its own initiative within its powers on taking measures to ensure the independence of judges and the authority of justice.
HCJ dismissed three judges on general grounds
On June 12, 2025, the HCJ decided to dismiss due to submission of applications for resignation, namely:
- Diadechko Ivan Ivanovych – from the office of a judge of the Koriukivskyi district court of the city of Kremenchuk of Poltava region;
- Kovalska Vira Volodymyrivna – from the office of a judge of the Kyiv Court of Appael.
The HCJ also dismissed Dovzhenko Olha Vitaliivna from the office of a judge of the Toretskyi local court of Donetsk region (seconded to the Verkhniodniprovskyi district court of Dnipropetrovsk region) at own volition.
54 judges were brought to disciplinary liability during January – May 2025
Within five months of 2025, based on the results of consideration of disciplinary cases by the Disciplinary Chambers, the HCJ adopted 52 decisions to bring 54 judges to disciplinary liability and impose the following types of disciplinary sanctions upon them:
- warning – upon 27 judges
- reprimand with deprivation of the right to receive supplemental payments to the basic wage of a judge for one month – upon 8 judges;
- severe reprimand with deprivation of the right to receive supplemental payments to the basic wage of a judge for three months – upon 3 judges;
- initiation of temporary suspension from administration of justice – upon 31judges;
- initiation of the judge’s removal from office – upon 15 judges.
Due legal procedure: Oksana Kvasha discusses the specifics of disciplinary liability of judges
Deputy Chairperson of the HCJ Oksana Kvasha addressed the International Scientific and Practical Conference “Constitutional Foundations of Due Legal Procedure: Challenges of European Integration”, held at Yurii Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University on 13–14 June 2025.
The speaker focused on the topic of “Disciplinary liability of judges: due legal process as a guarantee of judicial independence”.
Oksana Kvasha drew attention to the problems of legislative regulation of proper disciplinary proceedings, which require a scientific solution. Proper legal procedure is a system of elements that are universal in nature and serve as the ideological basis of any legal process.
More details – at the link.
A soft little revolution. Why we are concerned about seeing courts as they are —blog of Volodymyr Hurzhy, Head of the Press office of the High Council of Justice, for “Ukrainska pravda”