On October 24, 2023, the Members of the High Council of Justice (Ukraine) started its visit to the General Council for the Judiciary of Spain. This visit is supported and assisted by the Council of Europe Project “Support to the functioning of justice in the war and post-war context in Ukraine”
The delegation of the High Council of Justice includes: Chairman of the Council Mr. Hryhorii Usyk, Members of the Council Mr. Oleh Kandziuba, Mrs. Alla Kotelevets, Mr. Oleksii Melnyk, Head of the Secretariat of the Council Mr. Mykhailo Shumylo, Head of the Department for Judicial Career, Disciplinary Responsibility and Judicial Independence of the Council Mrs. Vira Plaksa.
The main topic of the working visit is to study the Spanish experience in the field of implementing disciplinary practice. This issue is extremely relevant for Ukraine, since on November 1, 2023, it will begin the distribution of disciplinary complaints and cases among members of the High Council of Justice, who will temporarily carry out disciplinary proceedings until the creation of the Disciplinary Inspectorate Service.
The visit began with a meeting with senior judge, Director of the International Relations Department, Mr. Luis de Arcos, who briefed the members of the delegation on the structure and functions of the General Council for the Judiciary of Spain and the current problems arising in the exercise of the powers by the General Council for the Judiciary.
The members of the delegation were welcomed by the President of the General Council for the Judiciary, Mr. Vicente Guilarte. The President offered words of support for Ukraine, its territorial integrity and wished for a speedy victory, as well as expressed confidence in Ukraine's speedy integration into the European Union. In his turn, Mr. Hryhorii Usyk, the Chairman of the High Council of Justice, thanked for the financial and military assistance provided by Spain and emphasized the importance of the solidarity of the Ukrainian and Spanish people. The Chairman of the High Council of Justice also expressed special thanks to the Spanish colleagues for their willingness to share their experience, which is of value for Ukraine, and expressed hope that the next meeting with Spanish colleagues would take place in Ukraine.
The delegation's work continued with a meeting with senior judge, Ombudsman for Disciplinary Action, Mr. Ricardo Conde Díez, who presented the operative disciplinary procedures for judges in Spain, talked about the current legislation and the bodies that are responsible for conducting disciplinary proceedings. Mr. Ricardo Conde Díez cited statistical information for several years on the receipt of disciplinary cases, their subject matter and demonstrated with specific examples how disciplinary proceedings are carried out and what types of sanctions can be applied to judges in Spain.
The work program includes other events, meetings, exchange of views and sharing experiences between representatives of the High Council of Justice and the General Council for the Judiciary, in particular: a meeting with the acting head of the Inspection Service, director of the Periodic Training Service, president of the Observatory against domestic and gender violence, meeting with professional associations of magistrates, etc.