Judicial system development strategy submitted to Zelensky

According to the report, the document was developed by the commission on legal reform with the involvement of experts, representatives of the Supreme Court and the High Council of Justice.

The head of the commission on legal reform, Serhiy Ionushas, said the strategy proposed ways to address five main blocks of issues related to the reform of the justice system.

The first block, he said, concerns improving the mechanisms of citizens' access to justice.

"To this end, it is proposed to conduct an audit of the system of local courts, with a subsequent review of their network, taking into account administrative and territorial reform, economic feasibility and demand for judicial services," the President's Office said.

The second block of issues involves improving the judicial process. In particular, it is proposed to introduce the institution of a jury trial, which decides the guilt of a person, to introduce the mechanism for reviewing sentences for persons sentenced to life or other long-term imprisonment, with the definition of legislative criteria for such a review, to introduce the mechanism for filing complaints on non-observance of reasonable terms of the consideration of cases in courts and the mechanism for payments from the budget of compensations to participants of the judicial process for violation of these terms.

According to the President's Office, the strategy emphasized the need to develop e-litigation as soon as possible, particularly to introduce the possibility of considering certain categories of cases online, as well as improving mechanisms for alternative dispute resolution.

A separate block of issues in the strategy is the activity of the Supreme Court. The document provides for the improvement of the institution of exemplary cases and the introduction of the institution of a pilot (model) decision of the Supreme Court; improving the procedure for the Supreme Court to apply to the European Court of Human Rights to request advisory opinions on matters of principle. The strategy also resolves the issue of the status of judges of higher courts that have ceased to exist and are being liquidated, etc.

The block on strengthening judicial independence and accountability proposes to optimize the system of judicial authorities by creating autonomous personnel and disciplinary bodies; improving the mechanisms for verifying the integrity of members of the judiciary, particularly with the possible involvement of international experts.

It is also proposed to reorganize the State Judicial Administration, regulate the monitoring mechanism for assessing and controlling the activities of courts without interference in the field of justice management, developing and adopting a law on public service in the justice system, etc.

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