The beginning of reforms to the Ukrainian judicial system

On 2 June 2016, the Ukrainian parliament adopted an amendment to the constitution concerning the judicial system, as well as a law connected with the amendment concerning courts and the status of judges. These acts are intended to reform Ukrainian justice, which was completely corrupt, and was regarded by the public with suspicion, if not downright hostility. The new legislation introduced far-reaching changes to the organisation of the judicial system, the most important of which was the withdrawal of parliament’s right to appoint, discipline and dismiss judges, and the limiting of immunity for judges and the abolition of specialised courts of cassation. In this way, the process of reforming Ukrainian justice has at last been initiated. However these changes, which were introduced over a period of several years, do not guarantee success, and they merely provide an opportunity to cleanse the system. They were also more like reforms in nature, but certainly do not constitute a revolution – such as, in particular, the idea proposed by civic organisations of starting from scratch: dismissing all the country’s judges and creating an entirely new class of them.

ESO: Background information: Joint statement by the High Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini and Commissioner Johannes Hahn on the vote on constitutional amendments related to the judiciary by the Parliament of Ukraine http://www.europeansources.info/record/statement-joint-statement-by-the-high-representative-vice-president-federica-mogherini-and-commissioner-johannes-hahn-on-the-vote-on-constitutional-amendments-related-to-the-judiciary-by-the-parliame/

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