On September 19, 2024, the Chairman of the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine, Andrii Pasichnyk, spoke at the XX regular Congress of Judges of Ukraine.
First of all, the Chairman of the Commission expressed his gratitude to the delegates of the Congress for the decisions taken the day before, in particular, the election of a judge of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine.
The Chairman of the Commission informed the delegates and participants of the Congress about the work of the HQCJ in 2023–2024, as well as about the current activities of the body. In particular, he spoke about the completion of competitions for vacant positions of judges in local courts. This made it possible to appoint 286 judges, which is one of the Commission’s greatest achievements.
Andrii Pasichnyk also focused on the competitions to the appellate courts and the High Anti-Corruption Court. He recalled that on September 11, 2024, the Commission decided to conduct a qualification exam for the competition to the appellate courts.
“On October 02, we are planning to start the testing in the knowledge of law. For the first time, the Commission will conduct the test electronically and this process will be depersonalized, which eliminates any risks, and the result will be known to the candidate immediately after the test. We plan to complete this stage of the competition in October”, – said the Chairman of the Commission.
In November, the Commission plans to hold the next stage of the competition – cognitive testing, after which the candidates will begin to complete practical tasks. These stages will also be conducted using computer technology with depersonalization. In 2025, interviews with candidates will begin, with the Public Integrity Council joining in.
The Chairman of the Commission also spoke about the specifics of the competition to the High Anti-Corruption Court. In particular, he said that the Public Council of International Experts, which includes legal experts from Estonia, the USA, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Canada, will assist the Commission in the HACC competition at the interview stage. HQCJ members have already met with PCIE representatives to discuss a roadmap for future joint work.
The Chairman of the Commission informed about the procedure for secondment of judges. In 2023–2024, the HQCJ recommended secondment of 59 judges to 38 courts, and 27 judges completed their secondment ahead of schedule. Judges were also seconded from courts with changed territorial jurisdiction.
Over these years, the Commission has conducted a qualification evaluation of 133 judges for their suitability for the position held, of which 104 were found to be suitable for the position, and 29 were found not suitable.
Andrii Pasichnyk also informed the audience about the Commission’s preparations for the next selection to local courts. Work is underway on test tasks, logistics and general organizational issues to ensure that this procedure is carried out promptly. The Commission plans to announce the selection to local courts this year.
Afterwards, Andrii Pasichnyk answered questions from the audience about the Commission’s plans and procedures.
