Working meeting of the Commission’s Chairman Mr. Sergii Koziakov with the representatives of the Ukrainian-Canadian Support for Judicial Reform Project was held
On July 27, 2018, a working meeting of the Chairman of the Commission Mr. Sergii Koziakov and the acting Head of the International Cooperation Division of the Commission’s Secretariat Ms. Yuliia Tkachenko with the Head of the newly created Ukrainian-Canadian Support for Judicial Reform Project Mr. Liubomyr Markevych and the Deputy Head of the Project Mr. Igor Osyka took place at the premises of the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine.
The objective of the Project is to substantially contribute to the advancement of democracy and the rule of law in Ukraine through a targeted multi-year strategy of justice-sector reform support focused on the strengthening of the Ukrainian judiciary and judicial institutions and reinforcement of the courts as effective and credible mechanisms for achieving justice. The Project aims, in particular, to enable the implementation of current and future reforms in support of an independent, effective, fair and accountable judicial system, in alignment with international standards and norms.
During the meeting, the parties discussed the role and interim results of the work of the HQCJ within the judicial reform over the past four years.
In addition, the Chairman of the Commission described in detail the latest changes in the legislation in the field of judicial career which were introduced during the competition for vacant positions of judges of cassation courts within the Supreme Court. In particular, Mr. Sergii Koziakov emphasized that not only judges but also advocates and academicians had participated in the selection; first instance judges had obtained the possibility to apply to the Supreme Court; public participation in the selection procedure; online broadcast of interviews with candidates; psychological testing; publication of the dossiers on the official website of the Commission.
The parties also considered the text of the Memorandum of Understanding between the National Judicial Institute of Canada and the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine, which will become the legal basis for cooperation between the HQCJ and the Project, and outlined the areas of future cooperation.
