During January-October of 2023 the High Council of Justice took 11 decisions to give consent for taking judge into custody
During January-October of 2023 the High Council of Justice took 11 decisions to give consent for taking judge into custody and 14 decisions to satisfy 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 until the court sentence enters into force or the criminal proceedings are closed, and 6 decisions to partially satisfy the said petitions.
Since the beginning of 2023, the HCJ considered 182 notifications on interference with the professional activity of judges regarding administering justice
During January – October, 2023, the High Council of Justice received 144 notifications on interference in the professional activity of judges regarding administering justice on actions that violate safeguards of independence of judges or undermine the authority of justice. Taking into account notifications that were filed in previous periods, the HCJ has considered 182 notifications of judges since the beginning of the year.
By the results of consideration of 82 notifications on interference in the activity of judges in the administration of justice, 79 decisions on taking response measures were made. Having considered 100 notifications of judges, the Council took 51 decisions approving 86 opinions of the HCJ members that there were no grounds for taking measures to ensure judicial independence and the authority of justice.
HCJ requested international organizations to delegate representatives to the Competition Commission, which will form the composition of the Disciplinary Inspectorate Service
The High Council of Justice is taking all measures to promptly start the work of the Disciplinary Inspectorate Service of the HCJ and resume the function of considering disciplinary complaints.
The HCJ shall form the Competition Commission consisting of six people, three of whom shall be appointed by the High Council of Justice on proposals of international and foreign organizations that, according to international or interstate agreements for last three years have been providing Ukraine with international technical assistance in the field of judicial reform and/or prevention and combating corruption. The High Council of Justice received from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine a list of the international and foreign organization.
The High Council of Justice immediately requested these organizations to provide proposals regarding candidates, from among whom, in particular, the Competition Commission will be formed to hold a competition for the position of the head of the Disciplinary Inspectorate Service and his/her deputy, disciplinary inspector of the High Council of Justice, who meet requirements of Law No. 3378-IX.
HCJ suspended judge Volodymyr Honchar from the administration of justice
On November 6, 2023 the HCJ satisfied petition of Deputy Prosecutor General – Head of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office Oleksandr Klymenko and extended the term of temporary suspension from the administration of justice until December 26, 2023 of judge of the Kropyvnytskyi court of appeal Volodymyr Honchar in connection with criminal prosecution. The judge is suspected of committing a criminal offense under part 3 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
Revision of judicial career procedures requires balanced approach - Hryhorii Usyk
This was emphasized by the Chairman of the HCJ Hryhorii Usyk during a round table session on the topic “The Future of the Judiciary: Discussing Draft Amendments to Judicial Career Procedures”. Participants of the event discussed novelties proposed by draft laws No. 10140, No. 10140-1.
According to Hryhorii Usyk, the priority goal of the changes should be, first of all, to optimize the procedures, make them transparent and understandable both for the candidates for positions and for the society. There is a need to develop uniform criteria for assessing the integrity and professional ethics of judges.
Hryhorii Usyk called the provisions of the draft law, which propose to introduce a psychophysiological interview with a judicial candidate using a polygraph, debatable. In matters of legislative regulation of verification of judges, European standards should be applied, in particular the principle of legal certainty.