Overview of the results of the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine in March 2025

OVERVIEW OF THE RESULTS

OF THE HIGH QUALIFICATION COMMISSION OF JUDGES OF UKRAINE

March 2025

Procedures of the judicial career

Competition to the appellate courts

The review of 203 practical assignments in the administrative and commercial specializations has been completed.

Based on the results of the qualification exam, 67 candidates for the position of judge of the appellate administrative court and 83 candidates for the position of judge of the appellate commercial court have been admitted to the second stage of the qualification evaluation “Dossier Study and Interview”.

A special background check has been initiated for these candidates.

The qualification exam results of participants of the contest to appellate general courts are scheduled to be determined in April 2025.

General statistics of the competition to the appellate courts

By specializations
Stage	Administrative	Commercial	Criminal	Civil	TOTAL
Applied with applications (1 candidate did not choose a specialization)	191	185	912	787	2076
Admitted to the competition and qualification evaluation	173	160	821	687	1841
Successfully passed a test of knowledge in the field of law and in the specialization of the relevant court	132	134	703	619	1588
Successfully passed the cognitive abilities test	105	98	507	410	1120
Successfully completed practical assignment	67	83	Not yet determined as of 31.03.2025	Not yet determined as of 31.03.2025	Not yet determined as of 31.03.2025

Competition to the High Anti-Corruption Court

The candidate ranking has been approved and the winners of the competition for vacant judicial positions at the High Anti-Corruption Court have been determined.

Interviews were conducted with two winners of the competition, and the High Council of Justice was recommended to appoint Tetiana Lytvynko and Olena Chernova as judges of the High Anti-Corruption Court.

[more]

Selection for the position of a local court judge

The main application period for participation in the selection and transfer to a local court has been completed.

The number of persons who submitted applications is 9,143 (as of 30.03.2025 inclusive).

Please note that for servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other military formations, who are actively serving at the time of submitting documents and intend to become judges, the application deadline is May 01, 2025.

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Qualification evaluation for suitability of a judge for his/her position held and in connection with the imposition of a disciplinary sanction

Interview was conducted with one judge:

one judge was found to be suitable for the position held:

Lidiia Ivanisova, Leninskyi District Court of Kharkiv City;

The qualification evaluation of four judges has been terminated.

It was established that two judges refused to undergo the qualification evaluation.

The Public Integrity Council has submitted conclusions regarding 12 judges:

Liubov Babicheva, Svativskyi Raion Court of Luhansk Oblast;
Volodymyr Halyn, Sambirskyi City-Raion Court of Lviv Oblast;
Khrystyna Hladun, Pechersk District Court of Kyiv City;
Vasyl Honcharuk, Umanskyi City-Raion Court of Cherkasy Oblast;
Liudmyla Hrybanova, Lysychanskyi Town Court of Luhansk Oblast;
Iryna Kolesnikova, Kyiv Circuit Administrative Court;
Viktoriia Koretska, Kivertsivskyi Raion Court of Volyn Oblast;
Yevhen Novytskyi, Baranivskyi Raion Court of Zhytomyr Oblast;
Iryna Rybalchenko, Krasnohradskyi Raion Court of Kharkiv Oblast;
Olha Smorodinova, Commercial Court of Mykolaiv Oblast;
Hanna Tymofieieva, Dobropilskyi City-Raion Court of Donetsk Oblast;
Vadym Tomash, Ordzhonikidze Town Court of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.

The Commission, in plenary composition and based on the consideration of the Public Integrity Council’s conclusions, has recognized one judge as suitable for the position held:

Lidiia Ivanisova, Leninskyi District Court of Kharkiv City.

A test of personal moral and psychological qualities and general abilities was scheduled for 41 judges as part of the qualification evaluation for suitability for the position held and in connection with imposition of the disciplinary sanctions. 15 judges appeared to be present at the test.

Secondments

The Commission has begun considering matters related to the early termination of judges’ secondments and their simultaneous secondments.

An additional list of local general courts experiencing excessive judicial workload has been compiled for the temporary transfer (secondment) of judges who were seconded without a specified time limit, to other courts.

A total of 6 notifications of secondment and 2 notifications of early termination of secondment have been received.

The Commission reviewed the secondments of judges:

To 7 courts due to excessive judicial workload;
From 2 courts due to changes in the territorial jurisdiction of court cases.

The Commission also considered the early termination of secondment for judges from two courts.

It was recommended that judges be seconded to the following courts:

Apostolivskyy Raion Court of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast (1 judge);
Bahliyskyy Raion Court of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast(1 judge);
Brovarskyi City-Raion Court of Kyiv Oblast (2 judges);
Derhachivskyi Raion Court of Kharkiv Oblast (1 judge);
Dnipropetrovskyi Raion Court of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast (1 judge);
Zhytomyrskyi Raion Court of Zhytomyr Oblast (2 judges);
Zhovtnevyi District Court of Kryvyi Rih City (1 judge);
Kyiv-Sviatoshyn Raion Court of Kyiv Oblast (1 judge);
Lychakivskyi District Court of Lviv City (1 judge);
Poltavskyi Raion Court of Poltava Oblast (1 judge);
Skvyrskyi Raion Court of Kyiv Oblast (1 judge);
Solomianskyi District Court of Kyiv City (2 judges);
Ternopilskyi City-Raion Court of Ternopil Oblast (1 judge);
Shevchenkivskyi District Court of Zaporizhzhia City (2 judges);

[more] – in Ukrainian

Data on the accounting of judges’ positions

17 new judicial vacancies have been created:

In local courts – 14 vacancies:

Samarskyi District Court of Dnipropetrovsk City (resignation [1]);
Yemilchynskyi Raion Court of Zhytomyr Oblast (resignation [1]);
Dolynskyi Raion Court of Kirovohrad Oblast (resignation [1]);
Suvorovskyi District Court of Odesa City (resignation [1]);
Kominternivskyi Raion Court of Odesa Oblast (paragraph 3, part six, Article 126 of the Constitution of Ukraine [1]);
Bolhradskyi Raion Court of Odesa Oblast (paragraph 3, part six, Article 126 of the Constitution of Ukraine [1]);
Ternopilskyi City-Raion Court of Ternopil Oblast (resignation [1]);
Khmelnytskyi City-Raion Court of Khmelnytskyi Oblast (resignation [1]);
Yarmolynetskyi Raion Court of Khmelnytskyi Oblast (death of the judge [1]);
Prylutskyi City-Raion Court of Chernihiv Oblast (resignation [1]);
Holosiivskyi District Court of Kyiv City (subparagraph 4, paragraph 161, Section XV of the Constitution of Ukraine [1]);
Commercial Court of Lviv Oblast (resignation [1]);
Commercial Court of Rivne Oblast (resignation [1]);
Odesa Circuit Administrative Court (resignation [1]).

In appellate courts – 3 vacancies:

Zhytomyr Oblast Court of Appeals (resignation [1]);
Chernivtsi Court of Appeal (resignation [1]);
Northern Commercial Court of Appeal (resignation [1]).

A judge has been reinstated to position:

Vasylkivskyi City-Raion Court of Kyiv Oblast [1].

[more] – in Ukrainian

Meetings

1. meetings were held, of which:
in plenary composition – 12;
in chamber composition – 7;
in Panel composition – 12.

[more] – in Ukrainian

70 decisions of the Commission were adopted, of which:

on selection and appointment of judges – 1;
on transfer (secondment) of judges – 12;
on verification of declarations of family ties and integrity of a judge (candidate for the position of a judge) – 22;
on qualification evaluation of judges – 7;
on holding a competition for the positions of judges of high specialized courts – 4;
on holding a competition for the positions of judges of appellate courts – 1;
on general issues – 23.

[more] – in Ukrainian

Participation in the events

March 05, 2025 – Meeting with representatives of the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine and the Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR) of the European Commission for the discuss the implementation status of Step 4.3 “Increasing the staff of the High Anti-Corruption Court” within Ukraine’s Plan (online).

March 06, 2025 – Virtual visit of representatives from the OECD Anti-Corruption Network as part of the 5th round of monitoring Ukraine and discussions of Area 6 “Judicial Independence” with Commission experts (online).

March 06, 2025 – Meeting between the Commission representatives and the Ministry of Justice of Japan at the Embassy of Japan, to present the key objectives of the G7 Anti-Corruption Task Force for Ukraine (ACT for Ukraine), discussion of the results of prior ACT for Ukraine initiatives, and also anti-corruption measures being implemented by the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine (HQCJU).

March 14, 2025 – Presentation of Opinion No. 27 of the Consultative Council of European Judges on “Disciplinary Liability of Judges” and the Recommendations on Judicial Independence and Accountability by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (Warsaw Recommendations), with participation of Commission representatives.

March 21, 2025 – Participation of Commission representatives in the Eighth Meeting of the EU–Ukraine Association Committee (Brussels, online).

Litigation

The Commission’s interests were represented in 52 hearings of the Supreme Court.

Court decisions upholding the Commission’s position:

1. 1. Case No. 990/287/24 – Claim filed by Zaika M.M. seeking recognition of unlawful inaction (qualification evaluation for suitability for the position).

Court decision available at: https://reyestr.court.gov.ua/Review/126153468 (in Ukrainian).

1. 1. Case No. 990/406/24 – Claim filed by Bereza M.V. seeking recognition of unlawful inaction by a public authority (Public information).

Court decision available at: https://reyestr.court.gov.ua/Review/125825657 (in Ukrainian).

1. 1. Case No. 990/225/24 – Claim filed by Davydenko O.V. seeking recognition as unlawful and cancellation of the Commission’s decision of 04.04.2024 No. 412/ds-24.

Court decision available at: https://reyestr.court.gov.ua/Review/122686459 (in Ukrainian).

1. 1. Case No. 990/85/24 – Claim filed by Kovalishkin V.V. seeking recognition as unlawful and cancellation of the decision of the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine, Panel No. 1, of 27.02.2024 No. 232/ds-24.

Court decision available at: https://reyestr.court.gov.ua/Review/126054750 (in Ukrainian).

1. 1. Case No. 990/95/24 – Claim filed by Vovk P.V. seeking recognition of unlawful inaction by the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine regarding a decision on the request submitted by the Kyiv Circuit Administrative Court dated 25.12.2023 No. 03-18/38398/23 concerning the conduct of Ihnatov R.M.

Court decision available at: https://reyestr.court.gov.ua/Review/125876664 (in Ukrainian).

1. 1. Case No. 990/319/23 – Claim filed by Kliuchnyk A.S. seeking recognition of unlawful actions (case closed).

Court decision available at: https://reyestr.court.gov.ua/Review/125756986 (in Ukrainian).

Document flow

9 401 documents were processed:

7 165 – incoming documents;
2 236 – outgoing documents.

2 236 inquiries and appeals were reviewed:

6 lawyer’s requests;
249 requests for information;
91 appeals;
1 890 other inquiries.

Assistance in the implementation of judicial career procedures will be gladly provided, and proposals for improving Commission’s work will be considered!

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