The extremely difficult trials during the war should prompt us to evaluate the present and design the future of the judicial system. It was emphasized by the Chairman of the High Council of Justice Hryhorii Usyk in an interview with interview with “Dzerkalo Tyzhnia”.
“We are now facing a global juncture. Whatever this historical moment can be called, we should come out of this war in a different state with a different vision of the development of our country and, above all, of its judicial system. Now justice should not just be administering, but people should feel it. People have the right to a fair trial and should feel that their rights are protected, that they will never be left alone with their own problems,” he emphasized.
Hryhorii Usyk is convinced that the vast majority of judges in Ukraine are honest and professional.
“The demand for justice is not satisfied in society. Therefore, the expectations for judges are extremely high and their violations on their part cause a great resonance, undermining the trust of people not only in the judiciary but also in the state. But it is important not to overstep boundaries in defining these expectations. We must ensure that the dignity of those judges who honestly perform their duties is not undermined. And there are a lot of them in the Supreme Court and in the judicial system in general,” stated the Chairman of the HCJ.
Hryhorii Usyk emphasized that there should be an inevitable punishment for acts of corruption, any violations of the law by the judges – regardless of the position, person or great respect to that person.
The Chairman of the HCJ expressed his support for the soonest restoration of the disciplinary function of the Council.
“Dishonest and incompetent judges can be identified, including through the disciplinary proceedings. The mechanism of disciplinary responsibility of the judges has not been functioning for more than two years. There are almost 10,000 complaints on the shelves. It is precisely about prevention and the inevitability of punishment at all levels. We have an effective mechanism that needs to be urgently applied,” Hryhorii Usyk said.
He emphasized that the rule of law, justice and the inevitability of punishment should become the cornerstones of Ukrainian statehood.