On May 18, 2026, the HCJ temporarily suspended judge of the Pidhaietskyi district court of Ternopil region in connection with criminal prosecution until a court sentence enters into force or criminal proceedings are closed.
The judge is suspected of violating traffic safety rules while operating a vehicle, resulting in the death of the victim – that is, of committing an offense under Part 2 of Article 286 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
Two judges wee resigned
The HCJ took decision on dismissal due to submission of applications for resignation of:
- Zhuravliov Oleksandr Hennadiiovych – from the office of judge of the Odeskyi court of appeal;
- Kuzmenko Anna Ihorivna – from the office of judge of the Circuit administrative court of Kyiv.
On May 19, 2026, the HCJ decided to make submission to the President of Ukraine on appointment of Amirova Yuliia Valentynivna to the office of judge of the Northern economic court of appeal.
Analytical report “Judicial Impartiality and recusal of judges in the context of Article 6(1) of the ECHR: an analysis of ECHR practice and the national context” was presented during a roundtable discussion organized with the support of the EU Project “Pravo-Justice” on May 15, 2026.
The event was attended by the High Council of Justice members Dmytro Lukianov and Roman Maselko.
Dmytro Lukianov emphasized that issues related to compliance with standards of judicial impartiality and procedures for recusal and self-recusal are cross-cutting for the entire justice system and directly affect the level of public trust in the judiciary.
Roman Maselko highlighted the practical and procedural aspects of using the recusal and self-recusal mechanisms, emphasizing that what matters are not only the grounds for recusal but also the procedure for filing a recusal request, the deadlines, and the legal consequences of the relevant procedural decisions.
More details – at the link.
President of Ukraine upheld submissions of the HCJ on appointment of 23 judges
By decrees of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi dated May 19, 2026 Nos. 389/2026—411/2026 23 judges were appointed to courts of appeal and local courts.
The decision to bring the judge to disciplinary liability and impose disciplinary sanction in the form of submission on dismissal from office was adopted by the Second Disciplinary Chamber of the HCJ on May 20, 2026.
On May 20, 2026, students from the Educational and Scientific Institute of Law at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv visited the HCJ. During the study visit, the future lawyers met with Oksana Kvasha, Deputy Chairperson of the High Council of Justice, and Olga Bulka, Head of the Secretariat of the HCJ – they, in particular, informed the students about the specifics of the collegial body’s activities, as well as the history of its formation, main powers, composition, and structure.
HCJ changed the territorial jurisdiction of cases of three courts
The High Council of Justice decided to change the territorial jurisdiction of court cases from June 1, 2026 of:
- the Slovianskyi local-district court of Donetsk region by transferring it to the Kyivskyi district court of the city of Poltava;
- the Donetskyi circuit administrative court by transferring it to the Kharkivskyi circuit administrative court;
- the Luhanskyi circuit administrative court by transferring it to the Dnipropetrovskyi circuit administrative court.
Oksana Kvasha, Deputy Chairperson of the High Council of Justice, took part in the presentation of the report on the results of the fourth phase of the project “Monitoring of Court Proceedings and Analysis of Court Decisions in War Crime Cases (under Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine)”.
Oksana Kvasha noted that monitoring of court proceedings in war crime cases is an extremely large-scale and complex task that requires significant effort from all involved experts, particularly the monitors who directly attend court sessions and analyze judicial practice. “We are witnessing a true evolution of this project. Every year, the number of court sessions attended, the number of cases and court decisions analyzed are growing. Consequently, an increasingly representative basis is being formed for conclusions, generalizations, and recommendations,” she emphasized.
More details – at the link
This decision was adopted to ensure the proper conduct of the selection process for a candidate for the position of member of the HCJ and compliance with the requirements of the Law of Ukraine “On the High Council of Justice”.
The Congress of Representatives of Higher Education and Research Institutions in the Area of Law will take place on August 27, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.
The conditions for the organizational support of court activities and the development of human-centred judicial management were discussed during the Second All-Ukrainian Forum of Court Employees, titled “An Independent Court: is it possible without an effective administrative apparatus?”
Hryhorii Usyk, Chairman of the High Council of Justice, emphasized that an effective and independent judicial system is impossible without the professional and consistent work of court staff, whose role is significantly underestimated today. When asked whether an independent court is possible without an effective apparatus, the head of the High Council of Justice replied: “Obviously not. After all, it is the well-coordinated teamwork of the court’s staff that ensures the continuity and effectiveness of its work in every area. It is this that enables judges to focus on the consideration of cases and to ensure citizens’ access to justice.”
Official website of the HCJ has published the following:
- Review of the results of the examination of reports from judges requiring no measures by the High Council of Justice to ensure judicial independence and the authority of the judiciary in 2025;
- Review of decisions of the High Council of Justice adopted following consideration of motions for consent to detain a judge in custody or under house arrest during the second half of 2025.