The Commission congratulates the High Anti-Corruption Court with the commencement of its work
On September 5, 2019, the High Anti-Corruption Court begins its work. Exactly the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine has made considerable efforts in order to establish this court in the country.
In early summer 2018, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine upheld the bill on establishing the High Anti-Corruption Court. On August 2, 2018, the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine announced a competition for 27 positions of judges of the High Anti-Corruption Court and 12 positions of judges of the Appeal Chamber of the same court.
For the successful organization and carrying out of the competition, the Secretariat and the members of the Commission enforced almost 200 plan items.
A record number of participants – 342 candidates (9 persons per 1 position) – despite the skeptics’ doubts took part in the competition. Candidates, including judges, advocates and academicians were expected to complete several stages of the competition. 270 contestants were admitted to the qualification evaluation. Candidates started evaluation by taking the exam: they performed tests and a practical assignment. 113 candidates have successfully passed the exam.
The next stage of the competition – interviews with the members of the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine and the Public Council of International Experts – was often emotional. This became a unique procedure, after all, as six foreign judges, prosecutors and lawyers joined the candidates’ evaluation procedure. Experts from the United Kingdom of Great Britain, Canada, Denmark, Lithuania and Macedonia were delegated from International organizations.
49 candidates who were submitted for the Special Joint Meetings of the HQCJU and PCIE had to prove their integrity and professionalism. And seven candidates from this list were allowed to move on.
“What we did with the HQCJ during the selection of judges to the Anti-Corruption Court is incredible. Ukraine has developed unique procedures for selecting judges and can be proud of it. Yet no country has invited international experts, and it is simply impossible to have greater support than we have received from the commission in this process,”- said Sir Anthony Hooper, Chairman of the Public Council of International Experts.
The competition to the High Anti-Corruption Court and its Appeal Chamber lasted 7 months. On March 6, 2019, the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine approved the ranking of candidates and announced the winners of the competition.
Thus, 19 judges (48%), 4 academicians (10%), 12 advocates (31%), 4 candidates with combined working experience (10%) were recommended to the High Anti-Corruption Court. Out of them, 12 persons were enrolled to the Appeal Chamber of this court, half of whom were judges, and other half were advocates and academicians.
“The High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine worked very well during the selection of candidates for the positions of judges to the High Anti-Corruption Court. We also appreciate the work of international experts during the competition”, - emphasized the Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe Mr. Regis Brillat.
All candidates for the positions of judges to the High Anti-Corruption Court and its Appeal Chamber have passed complicated competitive tests in public mode. In particular, they passed anonymous written testing for knowledge of the Rule of Law, completed practical assignment, and have undergone psychological testing. More than 40,000 pages of the dossiers have been analyzed by the members of the HQCJU and the PCIE for integrity (morality, honesty, incorruptibility), as well as for knowledge and practical skills required for consideration of relevant cases.
It is important that each stage of the competition was built to ensure maximum publicity of procedures for the public, which international experts drew attention to.
“I do not think I know any country in the world that is as transparent as Ukraine. In my country (the United Kingdom – editor) competitions are held, but the decisions are reached in private meetings and no one can watch it on YouTube. I hope you watched the interviews held in the Commission on YouTube. I think Ukraine may be congratulated on these major achievements in establishing an unprecedented system of appointing judges for the whole world”, said Sir Anthony Hooper, Chairman of the PCIE.
Please also kindly see a full interview with Sir Anthony Hooper:
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