TI to monitor establishment of anti-corruption court in Ukraine

03.08.2018 10:30

Ukrinform

Transparency International Ukraine believes that all legislative hurdles for the creation and effective work of the High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) in Ukraine have been eliminated after the president signed the law introducing amendments to the law of Ukraine on the judicial system and the status of judges, TI Ukraine's communications department has reported.

"On 2 August 2018 President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko signed the Law "On Amendments to the Law of Ukraine 'On Judiciary and the Status of Judges' in Connection with Passage of the Law of Ukraine 'On the High Anti-Corruption Court." With this step, all legislative hurdles for creation and effective work of the High Anti-Corruption Court have been eliminated. What is important, this document eliminates the shortcomings of the Law "On the High Anti-Corruption Court" pertaining to appeal review. All appeals on cases under the jurisdiction of the HACC will be reviewed only in the Anti-Corruption Court in the future - even those which are currently in general jurisdiction courts," reads the statement.

Transparency International Ukraine will now focus on transparency of processes directly connected with formation of the HACC.

"We will be closely following and informing the society on the selection and appointment of the Public Council of International Experts and the competition of judges to the future High Anti-Corruption Court. We urge other civil society organizations and journalists to join this process. The experience of NACP, SAPO and NABU attests to the fact that the issue of human resources is critical at the stage of formation of future anti-corruption agencies. And it is precisely the professionalism and integrity of future HACC judges that the punishment of grand corruption will rely on in the future," Transparency International said.

As Ukrinform reported, President Petro Poroshenko signed the law introducing amendments to the law of Ukraine on the judicial system and the status of judges, which opens the way for the functioning of the High Anti-Corruption Court. At the same time, the High Qualifications Commission of Judges of Ukraine hopes that the High Anti-Corruption Court will begin its work soon.

Previously, Poroshenko said that he would do everything possible to create an anti-corruption court before the beginning of the presidential election campaign.