81 candidates continue to participate in the competition to the High Anti-Corruption Court and 32 candidates continue to participate in the competition to the Appeal Chamber of the High Anti-Corruption Court – Mr. Koziakov
On January 10, 2019 a briefing for journalists of legal media was held at the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine.
Mr. Sergii Koziakov, Chairman of the Commission, Mr. Stanislav Shchotka, Deputy Chairman of the Commission, Ms. Valentyna Ustymenko and Mr. Taras Lukash, Members of the Commission, briefed the media on the results of candidates taking the qualification evaluation stage “Exam” within the framework of the competition to the Supreme Court and to the High Anti-Corruption Court.
According to Mr. Sergii Koziakov, at the end of 2018 the Commission Members finished checking the practical assignments taken within the framework of competitions to the Supreme Court and to the High Anti-Corruption Court. After that, the number of candidates who successfully completed the task and will continue to participate in the competition became known. The results are as follows:
- Administrative Cassation Court in the Supreme Court – 78 candidates;
- Commercial Cassation Court in the Supreme Court – 48 candidates;
- Criminal Cassation Court in the Supreme Court – 40 candidates;
- Civil Cassation Court in the Supreme Court – 69 candidates.
Thus, 235 candidates successfully passed the examination within the framework of the competition to the Supreme Court, of those 76 are Candidates of Juridical Sciences and 17 are Doctors of Juridical Sciences. Of those who continue to participate in the competition, there are 144 men and 91 women.
According to the results of the first stage of the competition, the following candidates aspire for the positions of judges of the High Anti-Corruption Court and the Appeal Chamber of the High Anti-Corruption Court:
- High Anti-Corruption Court – 81 candidates;
- Appeal Chamber of the High Anti-Corruption Court – 32 candidates.
Hence, in total 113 candidates successfully passed the examination in the competition to the High Anti-Corruption Court, of who 20 are Candidates of Juridical Sciences and 3 are Doctors of Juridical Sciences. Among those who continue to participate in the competition, there are 84 men and 29 women.
According to the Chairman of the Commission, despite considerable workload and competition procedures to the Supreme Court and to the High Anti-Corruption Court, the Commission carries out other tasks simultaneously.
“We also have selection of candidates for positions of judges, transfer to other courts, interviews within the framework of qualification evaluation of judges and secondment to other courts. In general, in 2018 the Commission held a record number of meetings – 704”, said Mr. Sergii Koziakov.
Mr. Stanislav Shchotka, Deputy Chairman of the Commission, reminded that in addition to six ongoing competitions, two more are to be conducted, namely to the High Court on Intellectual Property and the Appeal Chamber of this court. It is predicted in the Commission that after the competitions to the Supreme Court and to the High Anti-Corruption Court are completed, interviews with candidates to the patent court will be conducted simultaneously.
Mr. Stanislav Shchotka also spoke about constructive work with the Public Council of International Experts. This is a new experience for the Commission as previously the Commission did not happen to co-ordinate its work with foreign experts.
“We are pleased that the result is already in place and the Public Council of International Experts started functioning. Several official meetings took place in the framework of the cooperation and we were able to set professional work with the PCIE. Our relationships are not edgy because both parties adhere to common arrangements, hence we have normal communication”, emphasized Mr. Stanislav Shchotka.
Furthermore, he said that meetings were held with the members of the Public Integrity Council that will assist the Commission in the competition to the Supreme Court. “Road map” for joint work within the competition has been agreed upon.
Ms. Valentyna Ustymenko, Secretary of the Qualification Chamber of the Commission told reporters how the practical assignments of the candidates for the positions of the judges of the Supreme Court and the High Anti-Corruption Court were checked. She also told what exactly was taken into account by each member of the board of the Commission in evaluating practical assignments.
“General approaches to checking practical assignments are set out in the Procedure for Conducting the Examination and the Methodology of Establishing its Results in the Procedure of Qualification Evaluation. Practical assignments are checked by several Members of the Commission who are members of the board. The members of the Commission establish a unified approach. For example, to what extent a candidate is aware of the powers of the court of one or another instance, as well as admissibility, authenticity of evidence, assessment thereof, etc. It is important for the candidate to determine what legal relations are subject to legal regulation,” Ms. Valentyna Ustymenko said.
Finally, Mr. Stanislav Shchotka, Deputy Chairman of the Commission, invited journalists to his office and showed them how practical assignments are checked on the computer. A member of the board of the Commission gives a mark for each practical assignment, and it is unknown which particular candidate did it. After marks are given, the software system generates an average score for the practical assignment.
Furthermore, the Commission Members noted that they adhere to the established schedule of conducting competitions to the Supreme Court and to the High Anti-Corruption Court.
