Courts will start working: HQCJ has recommended appointing the first 95 judges who have passed the qualification assessment
After six months of carrying out the qualification assessment on 7 May, the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine recommended appointing the first 95 judges, who had successfully passed the qualification assessment, to the positions for a lifetime term. During 2014-2017 the five-year term of office of these judges had expired. If they are approved by the High Council of Justice, they will be able to continue the administration of justice in the relevant courts.
95 local judges from all over Ukraine, whose term of administrating justice has expired, have become pioneers in undergoing the complete procedure of the qualification assessment, which is taking place within the framework of the judicial reform. These Themis representatives during six months within the first thousand judges were following a number of procedures by which they have confirmed their competence, professional ethics, and integrity.
In particular, in November, the judges passed the psychological testing and were interviewed by psychologists, passed a two-level examination, were interviewed by Commission’s representatives online. HQCJ’s members examined in detail their dossiers, including documents verified by governmental agencies, including the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the National Agency on Corruption Prevention, the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine and the Security Service of Ukraine.
“Over the last few years, 2.5 thousand judges have resigned from their positions, and about 800 judges do not have powers of a judge. Consequently, the work of these 3,500 judges is now being performed by judges with powers. So the workload in courts has increased exponentially, and the terms of proceedings have increased significantly. Therefore, the first recommendations regarding the appointment to the positions are relating to the judges in respect of whom the Commission has made decisions in plenary session and who have not had the authority to administer justice. By their appointment, we will gradually improve the situation with the administration of justice in local courts. In some courts it has not been carried out at all”, said Mr. Stanislav Shchotka, Deputy Chairman of the HQCJ.
In particular, he specified, that this HQCJ’s decision after its approval in the High Council of Justice would result in restoration of justice in the Goshchanskyi District Court of Rivne Region and the Novovodolazhkyi District Court of Kharkiv Region. The human resources situation would improve considerably and the excessive level of workload would be overcome in many district courts. In particular, in the Berdychivskyi Court of Zhytomyr Region, the Novopskovskyi Court of Lugansk Region, the Pidvolochyiskyi Court of Ternopil Region, the Putylskyi court of Chernivtsi Region, the Skadovsk Court of Kherson Region.
“In addition to the indicated regional courts the excessive level of workload will be overcome in the Kyiv district courts, in particular, the Golosiivskyi Court, the Darnytskyi Court, the Dniprovskyi Court, the Obolonskyi Court, the Sviatoshynskyi Court, the Solomianskyi Court”, - said Mr. Stanislav Shchotka.
The Commission’s session was suspended until May 11, 2018, in relation to three judges, a decision in respect of who had to be taken in the plenary session.
We are reminding that a large-scale assessment of all judges of Ukraine is being conducted in the country. The qualification assessment of 999 of local and appellate court judges for compliance with the occupied position has been assigned according to the Commission’s Decision of October 20, 2017. Currently, these judges are being interviewed by the Commission’s representatives. The following group of judges - 1790 judges - has already begun passing the examination. If they successfully pass the examination, they will also undergo psychological testing and have their dossier been examined, and will be interviewed by the Commission’s members.
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