High Council of Justice (Ukraine) explained

Agency Name:	High Council of Justice
Nativename:	Вища рада правосуддя
Nativename R:	Vyshcha rada pravosuddia
Jurisdiction:	Ukraine
Headquarters:	12-a, Studentska str, Kyiv
Chief1 Name:	Hryhorii Usyk
Chief1 Position:	Chairman
Website:	hcj.gov.ua

The High Council of Justice,^{[1] [2]} or sometimes the Supreme Council of Justice^{[3] [4]} (Ukrainian: Вища рада правосуддя) is the national council of the judiciary of Ukraine, which submits motions to appoint, dismisses and disciplines judges.^{[5] [6]} In 2021, the Ethics Council was created with the intention of selecting the members of the High Council of Justice in a way that would help to create an independent and efficient judiciary in Ukraine.

Functions

The High Council of Justice has powers to:

• submit motions to the President to appoint judges,
• dismiss, suspend or discipline judges,
• give consent to arrest or detain judges,
• transfer or reassign judges to a different court,
• appoint and remove members of the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine,
• and execute other powers defined by the Laws of Ukraine "On the High Council of Justice" and "On the Judiciary and the Status of Judges".^[7]

Composition

There are total of 21 members. The term of membership in the council is four years. It is forbidden to be a member of the council for two tenures in a row.

The appointees include:

• ex officio the Chairman of the Supreme Court of Ukraine
• 10 appointees of the Congress of Judges of Ukraine
• 2 appointees of the Verkhovna Rada
• 2 appointees of the President of Ukraine
• 2 appointees of the Congress of Advocates of Ukraine
• 2 appointees of the Congress of representative from law schools and scientific institutions
• 2 appointees of the All-Ukrainian Conference of Employees of Procurocy (Prosecutors)

Membership requirements are:

• citizenship of Ukraine
• older than 35 years
• higher judicial education
• practicing of law no less than 15 years
• she or he must be politically neutral

Ineligible for membership are:

• elected government officials
• members of political parties
• individuals who work for political parties or for other organizations with political goals or that takes part in political activities
• individuals who take part in the organization or funding of political campaigns and other (political) activities

Publications

Official materials of the council is published in the Bulletin of the Supreme Court of Ukraine and in special cases in "Holos Ukrainy" and "Uryadovyi kurier".

History

The High Council of Justice (Ukrainian: Вища рада юстиції) was firstly introduced into Ukraine's legal system with the adoption of the 1996 Constitution.^{[8] [9]}

On January 15, 1998, the Ukrainian Parliament (Verkhovna Rada) adopted the law "On the High Council of Justice" (Ukrainian: "Про Вищу раду юстиції"). After that the majority of the initial Council members were appointed by the respective bodies.^{[10] [11] [12]}

The first official session of the council was held on March 31, 1998, and Valeri Yevdokimov was elected its first chairman.^[13]

In January 2017, the new law "On the High Council of Justice" (Ukrainian: "Про Вищу раду правосуддя") entered into force which re-established the council with the new Ukrainian name ("Вища рада правосуддя"), the new functions and change to its composition. In particular, the Council assumed from the Verkhovna Rada the functions to appoint judges and give consent to detain or arrest judges. The council also became responsible for disciplining and dismissing judges.^{[14] [15] [16]}

In 2021, the Ethics Council was legally defined by law No. 1635-IX, "On amendments to certain legislative acts of Ukraine concerning the procedure for selection (appointment) to the positions of members of the High Council of Justice and the activities of disciplinary inspectors of the High Council of Justice". In November 2021, the composition of the Ethics Council was set, with three Ukrainian members, Supreme Court judge Lev Kyshakevych, Kyiv Court of Appeal judge Yuriy Tryasun, and retired judge Volodymyr Siverin; and three international members, British retired judge Anthony Hooper, United States retired judge Robert J. Cordy and former Estonian prosecutor-general . In June 2022, the Council started confirming, appointing and refusing members of the High Council of Justice. Anti-corruption organisations including AutoMaidan objected to the council's decisions.

On 1 June 2023 the High Council of Justice appointed all members of the new High Qualification Commission of Judges (HQCJ), which has been dysfunctional since the termination of the previous composition on October 19, 2019.^[17]

List of chairmen of the Council

• March 31, 1998 - May 25, 2001—Valeri Yevdokimov, end of term
• May 25, 2001 - March 10, 2004—Serhii Kivalov, becoming Head of the Central Election Commission of Ukraine
• March 10, 2004 - January 20, 2006—Mykola Shelest, becoming judge of the Supreme Court of Ukraine
• January 20, 2006 - March 28, 2007—(acting) Lidiya Izovitova
• March 28, 2007 - March 22, 2010—Lidiya Izovitova, end of term
• March 22, 2010 - May 16, 2013 —Volodymyr Kolesnychenko^[18]
• July 4, 2013 - April 10, 2014 — Oleksandr Lavrynovych
• June 9, 2015 - April 16, 2019—Ihor Benedysiuk^{[19] [20] [21]}
• April 16, 2019 - September 24, 2019—Volodymyr Hovorukha^{[21] [22]}
• September 24, 2019 - March 11, 2021—Andriy Ovsienko^[23]
• March 2021 - January 2022 — (acting) Oleksii Malovatskyi^[23]
• January 24, 2022 - May 8, 2022 — (acting) Viktor Hryschuk^[24]
• May 2022 - January 2023 — (acting) Vitalii Salikhov
• January 23, 2023 - present—Hryhorii Usyk^[25]

See also

• Judiciary of Ukraine

External links

• Official web-site of the High Council of Justice of Ukraine

Notes and References

1. https://www.unian.info/politics/2057401-us-embassy-integrity-concerns-of-ukraine-supreme-court-nominees-remain.html U.S. Embassy: Integrity concerns of Ukraine Supreme Court nominees remain
2. Web site: Kyiv . U. S. Embassy . 2021-11-09 . Joint Statement on the establishment of the Ethics Council to the High Council of Justice . 2023-10-30 . U.S. Embassy in Ukraine . en-US.
3. http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=212fa5f8-4f4b-4b4d-9d5a-693579e0c95e Amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine passed: Ukraine takes a major step towards a European System of Justice
4. Web site: Judges Kolesnychenko, Kuzmyshyn, Justice Minister Lavrynovych elected as Supreme Council of Justice members . 2023-11-06 . Interfax-Ukraine . en.
5. Web site: Коли запрацює Вища рада правосуддя і чому Роман Маселко не відмовиться від справи проти ВРП .
6. Web site: ВИЩА ВЛАДА ПРАВОСУДДЯ Судовий вісник №1 від 25.01.2019 .
7. Web site: The Law of Ukraine "On the High Council of Justice" (with amends from May 7, 2022) .
8. Web site: Конституція України, стаття 131, редакція 28 червня 1996 року. Офіційний вебпортал парламенту України. 2022-06-14.
9. Зоряна Добош. 2020. Особливості становлення та розвитку Вищої ради правосуддя в Україні. Вісник Національного університету "Львівська політехніка". Серія: "Юридичні науки" Т. 7, № 2, 2020.
10. Web site: Про Вищу раду юстиції - Картка документа. Офіційний вебпортал парламенту України. 2022-06-14. uk.
11. Web site: Law of Ukraine "On the High Council of Justice" -- English translation . 2023-11-04 . lib.rada.gov.ua.
12. Євдокимов В.О., Полтавець Ю.П. Витоки створення Вищої ради юстиції. Book: Вісник Вищої ради юстиції, №1, 2010.
13. https://hcj.gov.ua/page/yevdokymov-valeriy-oleksandrovych Valeri Yevdokimov profile
14. https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-politics/2148490-president-signs-law-on-high-council-of-justice-mp-yemets.html President signs law on High Council of Justice – MP Yemets
15. http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/394662.html Poroshenko signs law on High Council of Justice
16. The law on the High Council of Justice earned, Ukrayinska Pravda (5 January 2016)
17. Web site: Ukraine’s High Council of Justice elected new High Qualification of Judges, one of requirements on "EU membership list" . 2023-11-06 . Ukrainska Pravda . en.
18. Web site: Члени ВРЮ в інші роки. High Council of Justice (Ukraine). 2023-10-30.
19. Web site: Головою Вищої ради юстиції став Ігор Бенедисюк - Український тиждень. 2015-06-09. 2023-01-13. uk.
20. Web site: Рішення Вищої ради юстиції №11/0/15-17 від 12.01.2017 "Про реорганізацію Вищої ради юстиції, утворення Комісії з питань реорганізації Вищої ради юстиції та утворення Вищої ради правосуддя і затвердження Порядку здійснення заходів, пов’язаних із реорганізацією Вищої ради юстиції та утворенням Вищої ради правосуддя". 2017-01-12. High Council of Justice (Ukraine).
21. Web site: Владимир Говоруха избран новым председателем Высшего совета правосудия. Судебно-юридическая газета. 2023-01-13. ru. 2019-04-16.
22. Web site: Андрій Овсієнко очолив Вищу раду правосуддя України – DW – 24.09.2019. dw.com. 2023-01-13. uk. 2019-09-24.
23. Web site: Обов’язки голови Вищої ради правосуддя виконує Віктор Грищук. www.ukrinform.ua. 2023-01-13. uk.
24. Web site: До виконання обов’язків голови ВРП приступив Віталій Саліхов. www.ukrinform.ua. 2022-06-02. uk. 2022-05-11. 2022-05-12. https://web.archive.org/web/20220512182121/https://www.ukrinform.ua/rubric-polytics/3480853-do-vikonanna-obovazkiv-golovi-vrp-pristupiv-vitalij-salihov.html.
25. Web site: Вища рада правосуддя обрала нового голову. LB.ua. 2023-01-23. 23 January 2023.