The Conference “Reform in Ukraine: Achievements and Perspectives”, 3 December, 2015
The Conference “Constitutional Reform in Ukraine: Achievements and Perspectives,” organized by the Council of Europe in cooperation with the Parliament of Ukraine, has been held on 3 December 2015. The aim of the event was to discuss the process of amending the Constitution of Ukraine in terms of justice and decentralization.
The Conference was attended by Mr. Volodymyr Hroisman, Chairman of the Parliament of Ukraine, Mr. Oleksii Filatov, Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration of Ukraine, Chairman of the Working Group on Justice and Related Legal Institutions, Mr. Stepan Kubiv, Representative of the President in the Parliament of Ukraine, Mrs. Simona Granata-Menghini Deputy Secretary of the European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission), Mrs. Hanne Juncker, Head of the Department of Justice and Legal Cooperation of the Directorate General of Human Rights and Rule of Law of the Council of Europe, Parliament of Ukraine Members, Members of the Constitutional Commission, representatives of scholar and expert community, diplomatic corps in Ukraine and others.
During the Conference opening Mr. Volodymyr Hroysman, Chairman of the Parliament of Ukraine has expressed anticipation that Parliament would soon begin the consideration of amendments to the Constitution in terms of justice and recalled the audience that the President of Ukraine Mr. Petro Poroshenko has introduced the respective Law to the Parliament of Ukraine. Mr. Volodymyr Hroisman has also emphasized that the adoption of amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine would allow Ukraine to become a successful state.
During the Conference, Mr. Oleksii Filatov, Deputy Head of Presidential Administration of Ukraine, Chairman of the Working Group of the Constitutional Commission on Justice and Related Legal Institutions indicated that work on amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine in terms of justice, which had been lasting nearly six months, has ended by broad public debates covering more than 500 experts whose almost 100 proposals were reflected within the final draft version of the Law. Mr. Filatov also emphasized that the Venice Commission has fully supported elaborated amendments to the Constitution, which took into consideration all its recommendations.
Furthermore, within the video appeal to the participants of the Conference Mr. Gianni Buquicchio, President of the Venice Commission stressed the need for decisive actions in conducting a Constitutional Reform in Ukraine. He also noted that changes to the Constitution in terms of justice would significantly reduce political influence of the President and Parliament of Ukraine on judges. “A number of provisions which were included in the text would make possibility to get rid of corrupted or incompetent judges”, - said Mr. Gianni Buquicchio, adding that without comprehensive judicial reform the fight against corruption will not be successful.
The Conference was also attended by Mr. Sergii Koziakov, Chairman of the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine.
