International Conference “Judicial Reform in Ukraine: Achievements and Further Steps”
The conference “Judicial Reform in Ukraine: Achievements and Further Steps”, organized by the Judicial Reform Council with assistance of the Supreme Court and the Council of Europe Project on Strengthening the Implementation of European Human Rights Standards in Ukraine, continued its work.
After the break, the third session of the conference “Qualification Procedures are the Key to the Formation of a Highly Professional and Respectable Judicial Corps” was held, during which the Chairman of the Commission Mr. Sergii Koziakov took the floor.
The Chairman of the HQCJ said that the evaluation and competition procedures were the steps towards the formation of a competent and respectable judiciary. He explained that the qualification evaluation had been introduced as an alternative means to the total release of all judges of Ukraine. Indeed, now there are about 30% of vacancies in the judicial system. Particularly an acute shortage of judges is observed in appellate courts.
In addition, the Chairman of the Commission reported on the main tasks facing the Commission: the completion of the selection procedure of candidates to the positions of local court judges, the second competition to the Supreme Court, the competition to the IP Court.
Participants of the discussion also talked about the participation of the public in the process of assessing judges in the light of European standards and Ukrainian realities and the experience of the contestant during the Supreme Court competition.
At the fourth session “Guarantees of the Independence of the Judiciary in Ukraine: Balance Between Independence and Accountability of Judges” the following issues were discussed: new approaches to independence, responsibility and accountability of the judiciary; ensuring the balance between the interests of a judge and the society in the disciplinary procedure; formation of common approaches to the practice of disciplinary proceedings against judges; the principles of independence and accountability of the judiciary in the European Court of Human Rights practice.
