Interview of HCJ Deputy Chair Oksana Kvasha to the Interfax-Ukraine News Agency
HCJ Deputy Chair Oksana Kvasha served as an expert for the academic report of Zoia Zahynei-Zabolotenko, Head of the Department of Criminal Law, Criminology and Judiciary at the V. M. Koretsky Institute of State and Law of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, entitled “War Crimes in Ukraine: Current State of Judicial Consideration and Main Problems of Judicial Practice”, which was presented at a meeting of the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.
Oksana Kvasha emphasized that, given the imperfect legal framework and the lack of consistent judicial practice in handling war crime cases, there is a need to establish a unified interactive electronic database of judicial decisions. This initiative has already been launched by the HCJ with the support of U.S. partners. A working group consisting of HCJ members was created. Kvasha stressed that such a database is an extremely important and useful tool for legal professionals.
165 Judges Dismissed Between January and August 2025
A total of 132 judges were dismissed under general circumstances:
- 123 judges – in connection with their resignation applications;
- 9 judges of local courts – upon submitting resignation at their own request.
Under special circumstances, the High Council of Justice dismissed 33 judges:
- 25 – for committing a significant disciplinary offense;
- 8 – on the basis of subparagraph 4, paragraph 16¹, Section XV “Transitional Provisions” of the Constitution of Ukraine, pursuant to submissions with recommendations from the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine.
HCJ Retires Two Judges
The HCJ decided to dismiss two judges in connection with their retirement applications, namely:
Yevheniia Andriivna Usenko – from the position of Judge of the Supreme Court;
Ivan Vasylovych Yakivchyk – from the position of Judge of the Storozhynets District Court of Chernivtsi Region.
83 Judges Disciplined in the First Eight Months of 2025
Between January and August 2025, based on the results of disciplinary case reviews, the Disciplinary Chambers of the HCJ adopted 81 decisions to hold 83 judges disciplinarily liable, imposing the following sanctions:
- warning – applied to 42 judges;
- reprimand with deprivation of the right to receive salary supplements for one month – applied to 11 judges;
- severe reprimand with deprivation of the right to receive salary supplements for three months – applied to 5 judges;
- submission for temporary suspension (from one to six months) from administering justice – applied to 1 judge;
- submission for dismissal – applied to 24 judges.
HCJ Submits to the President of Ukraine Proposals for Appointment of Five Judges
On September 16, 2025, the HCJ decided to submit proposals to the President of Ukraine for the appointment of one judge to an appellate court and three judges to local courts, namely:
- Yevhen Dmytrovych Kravchenko – to the position of Judge of the Sixth Administrative Court of Appeal;
- Oleksandr Viktorovych Haievyi – to the position of Judge of the Pokrovsk City Court of Dnipropetrovsk Region;
- Ruslana Mykhailivna Hukova – to the position of Judge of the Pokrovsk City Court of Dnipropetrovsk Region;
- Hanna Viktorivna Hnatyк – to the position of Judge of the Melitopol City District Court of Zaporizhzhia Region.
On September 18, 2025, the HCJ decided to submit to the President of Ukraine a proposal to appoint Olena Andriivna Nevmerzhytska as Judge of the Korosten City District Court of Zhytomyr Region.
High Council of Justice Ensures Resumption of the Ethics Council’s Work
By orders of the HCJ Chair, effective September 16, 2025, Pavol Žilinčík and Winfried Schubert were appointed to two positions as members of the Ethics Council.
Premiere of a Documentary Film About Judges During the War Held in Kyiv
On October 18, 2025, the premiere of the documentary “In Your Name: Justice in Wartime” took place at the “Zhovten” cinema in Kyiv. The film was created with the support of the European Union and the EU Project Pravo-Justice, in cooperation with the High Council of Justice (HCJ) and the Supreme Court of Ukraine.
The film tells the stories of judges who, during the full-scale war, went to the frontlines, as well as those who remained in the judiciary and continue administering justice daily in frontline communities despite danger, shelling, and air raids.
HCJ Chair Hryhorii Usyk emphasized: “Judges who administer justice today face all challenges heroically, despite shelling, bombardments, severe staff shortages, and heavy workloads. They are the foundation upon which Ukraine’s judiciary is built.”
He noted that initiatives such as this film are extremely important, as they demonstrate that behind the robe stands a human being with a soul, a personal story, and deep dedication to the profession.
The film is available on the YouTube channel of the EU Project Pravo-Justice.
HCJ Participates in Discussion on Proper Financing of the Judiciary
HCJ member Oleksandr Sasevych, Head of the Financial and Economic Department of the HCJ Secretariat Iryna Mostovenko, and Head of the Department for Organizational and Financial Support of the Judiciary Kateryna Izvekova took part in an online meeting of the working group on securing proper financing of the judiciary in Ukraine, held on September 22, 2025.
HCJ member Oleksandr Sasevych stressed that the draft state budget for 2026 does not fully meet the HCJ’s needs, with the overall deficit exceeding UAH 64.135 million.
Head of the National Agency of Ukraine on Civil Service (NAUCS) Nataliia Aliushyna reported that, starting from 2026 (pursuant to Law of Ukraine No. 4282-IX), new approaches to the remuneration of civil servants will be introduced. These include an increased state guarantee for the minimum salary level, as well as salary increases in the courts through revised approaches to defining the type and level of court jurisdiction.
“The Obvious, Populism, and Trust in the Judiciary” – Column by HCJ Press Office Head Volodymyr Hurzha for “Ukrainska Pravda”