Overview of the Results of the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine in February 2026

OVERVIEW OF THE RESULTS OF THE HIGH QUALIFICATION COMMISSION OF JUDGES OF UKRAINE February 2026

Procedures of the judicial career Selection for the position of local court judge The review of 3,637 practical assignments in administrative (397), commercial (406) and general (2,834) specialisations is ongoing as part of the qualification exam for candidates for the position of local court judge and judges who have expressed their intention to be transferred to another local court.

Competition for the appellate courts

General statistics of the competition for the appellate courts

	By specialisations
Stage	Administrative	Commercial	Criminal	Civil	TOTAL
Applied with applications (1 candidate did not choose a specialisation)	191	185	912	787	2 076
Admitted to the competition and qualification assessment	173	160	821	687	1 841
Successfully passed a test of knowledge in the field of law and in the specialisation of the relevant court	132	134	703	619	1 588
Successfully passed the cognitive abilities test	105	98	507	410	1 120
Successfully completed practical assignment	67	83	452	255	857
Ranking of candidates has been approved	43	60	113		216
Recognised as winners of the competition and recommended for the appointment	42	55	81		178
Interviews are ongoing	Completed	Completed	482

 

In February, the Commission conducted interviews with 33 candidates for the positions of judges of the general courts of appeal:

• 16 candidates confirmed their ability to administer justice (3 – in the Kyiv Court of Appeal, 5 – in the Mykolaiv Court of Appeal, 5 – in the Odesa Court of Appeal, and 3 – in the Kharkiv Court of Appeal);
• interviews with 8 candidates will be held in the plenary session of the Commission (2 candidates – for the Kyiv Court of Appeal, 5 candidates – for the Odesa Court of Appeal, and 1 candidate – for the Kharkiv Court of Appeal).

[more] – in Ukrainian

 

 

Competition to the High Anti-Corruption Court

By decision of the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine dated February 04, 2026, the overall results of the first stage of the qualification assessment, “Passing the Qualification Exam”, were approved, and 73 candidates who successfully passed the qualification exam were admitted to the second stage, “Dossier Study and Interview”, within the framework of the competition for vacant judicial positions at the High Anti-Corruption Court, announced by the Commission on June 03, 2025. Currently, 72 candidates remain in the competition, as one candidate has withdrawn.

Within the competition for the High Anti-Corruption Court and its Appeals Chamber, special joint sessions of the Commission and the Public Council of International Experts have commenced. These sessions began on February 16, and are scheduled to conclude on March 17 of the current year. A total of nine sessions have been held, during which interviews were conducted with 33 candidates.

[more]

 

 

Competition to Specialised Circuit Administrative Court and Specialised Administrative Court of Appeal

Competition for the SCAC

The Commission has completed the process of checking persons’ compliance with the requirements for candidates for the position of judge of the Specialised Circuit Administrative Court based on the submitted documents.

A total of 171 candidates have been admitted to undergo the qualification assessment and to participate in the competition for the position of judge of the Specialised Circuit Administrative Court. Admission was denied to 54 candidates.

Competition for the SACA

The Commission has checked the compliance of persons with requirements for the candidate for the position of judge of the Specialised Administrative Court of Appeal based on the submitted documents.

A total of 109 candidates have been admitted to undergo the qualification assessment and to participate in the competition for the position of judge of the Specialised Administrative Court of Appeal, while 22 candidates were denied admission.

By decisions of the Commission dated February 25, 2026, the qualification assessment and qualification exam were scheduled within the competitions for vacant judicial positions at the Specialised Circuit Administrative Court (SCAC) and the Specialised Administrative Court of Appeal (SACA).

By the Commission’s decision of February 25, 2026, the peculiarities of procedure for cognitive abilities testing and the methodology for evaluating its results during the qualification assessment of candidates for the position of judge within the competitions for SCAC and SACA were determined.

Additionally, in accordance with the Commission’s decision of February 09, 2026, to ensure proper preparation for the qualification exams for candidates for the positions of judges of the Specialised Circuit Administrative Court and the Specialised Administrative Court of Appeal, the official website of the Commission has published the list of questions for the anonymous test on knowledge of the history of Ukrainian statehood, along with the correct answers.

[more]

 

Secondments

10 notifications from the State Judicial Administration of Ukraine on secondments were received.

The Commission considered the issues of secondments of judges:

• To 9 courts due to excessive judicial workload;
• From 1 court due to changes in the territorial jurisdiction of court cases.

It has been recommended to second one judge to the Podilskyi District Court of Kyiv City.

 

Qualification assessment

 for suitability of a judge for his/her position held and in connection with the imposition of a disciplinary sanction

Interviews were conducted with 4 judges:

• Bohdan Bazarnyk (Netishyn City Court of Khmelnytskyi Oblast) – suitable for the position held;
• Yaroslav Bondarchuk (Yampilskyi Raion Court of Sumy Oblast) – suitable for the position held;
• Yurii Hlomb (Circuit Administrative Court of Rivne City) – suitable for the position held;
• Yevhen Novytskyi (Baranivka District Court of Zhytomyr Oblast) – suitable for the position held;
• Serhii Nahornianskyi (Circuit Administrative Court of Kyiv City) –  not suitable for the position held.

The qualification assessment of 1 judge has been terminated due to dismissal from the position of a judge:

• Nataliia Yarovenko (Dniprovskyi District Court of Kyiv  City).

 

Data on the accounting of judges’ positions

Data have been included to the record:

on creation of 34 new vacant judicial positions:

In local courts – 33:

•  local general courts – 10  (resignation [3]; paragraph 3 of part 6 of Article 126 of Constitution of Ukraine [2]; death of the judge [3]; appointed to the position of an appellate court judge [2]);
• local commercial courts – 8 (resignation [1], appointed to the position of an appellate court judge [7]);
• local administrative courts – 15 (resignation [2]; paragraph 3 of part 6 of Article 126 of Constitution of Ukraine [1]; appointed to the position of an appellate court judge [12]);

In appellate courts – 1:

• appellate administrative courts (resignation [1]);

 

on filling 24 vacant positions:

in appellate courts – 24:

• appellate general courts – 2;
• appellate commercial courts – 9;
• appellate administrative courts – 13.

 

[more]

 

 

Sessions

41 sessions were held, of which:

• in plenary composition – 6;
• special joint sessions of the Commission and PCIE – 9;
• in chamber composition – 5;
• in Panel composition – 21.

[more] – in Ukrainian

 

155 decisions of the Commission were adopted, of which:

• on selection and appointment of judges – 4;
• on transfer (secondment) of judges – 9;
• on qualification assessment of judges – 7;
• on conduction of competition for filling judicial positions in high specialised courts – 87;
• on conduction of competition for filling judicial positions in appellate courts – 36;
• on general issues – 12.

[more] – in Ukrainian

 

 

Participation in the events

February 4, 2026 – An online meeting with representatives of the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine and the Directorate-General for Enlargement and the Eastern Neighbourhood (DG ENEST) of the European Commission regarding outstanding steps under the Ukraine Plan.

February 09 – 10, 2026 – Information sessions with the Directorate-General for Enlargement and the Eastern Neighbourhood (DG ENEST) of the European Commission on the practical implementation of the key benchmarks communicated to Ukraine under Negotiating Cluster 1 “Fundamentals”.

February 25, 2026 – A high-level strategic session and thematic round table entitled “Strengthening Independent Justice and Effective Governance for Democratic Resilience,” held within the framework of consultations with Ukrainian authorities in preparation of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine “Democratic Security for Ukraine.”

February 25, 2026 – An online meeting with representatives of the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine and the Directorate-General for Enlargement and the Eastern Neighbourhood (DG ENEST) of the European Commission to assess the state of implementation of Chapters 3 and 4 of the Ukraine Plan.

February 27, 2026 – A special meeting of the Committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on Ukraine’s Integration into the European Union to assess Ukraine’s progress at the current stage of accession negotiations with the European Union.

 

Litigation

The Commission’s interests were represented in 73 hearings of the Supreme Court.

The Administrative Court of Cassation within the Supreme Court ruled in favour of the Commission as follows:

 

1. Cases No. 990/223/25 (claim filed by Fedoruk I.M.); No. 990/213/25 (claim filed by Chaika I.V.); No. 990/237/25 (claim filed by Koriak A.V.) – seeking recognition as unlawful and annulment of decisions and an order to take certain actions (competition to the courts of appeal: approval of the results of the practical assignment).
2. Cases No. 990/327/25 (claim filed by Sheviakov I.S.); No. 990/578/25 (claim filed by Sizintsova Yu.Yu.); No. 990/417/25 (claim filed by Shevchenko D.S.); No. 990/458/25 (claim filed by Hrabchuk O.V.) – seeking recognition as unlawful and annulment of decisions and an order to take certain actions (competition to the courts of appeal: interview stage).
3. Cases No. 990/463/25 (claim filed by Demyda I.S.); No. 990/506/25 (claim filed by Bulava S.I.); No. 990/515/25 (claim filed by Sebastianskyi A.P.); No. 990/513/25 (claim filed by Pika M.Ye.); No. 990/510/25 (claim filed by Vuyda V.P.); No. 990/430/25 (claim filed by Vynnychenko M.P.); No. 990/373/25 (claim filed by Shpyrka O.M.); No. 990/282/25 (claim filed by Yavorskyi O.H.) – seeking recognition of decisions as unlawful and an order to take certain actions (judicial selection procedure: admission and qualification examination).
4. Cases No. 990/179/25 (claim filed by Panchenko O.O.); No. 990/556/25 (claim filed by Stupak S.V.); No. 990/175/25 (claim filed by Shcherbakov V.V.) – seeking recognition as unlawful and annulment of decisions and an order to take certain actions (qualification assessment for suitability for the held position).
5. Cases No. 990/550/25 (claim filed by Humeniuk V.V.); No. 990/28/26 (claim filed by Donets A.A.) – seeking recognition as unlawful and annulment of decisions and an order to take certain actions (competition to the High Anti-Corruption Court: admission and qualification examination).
6. Case No. 990/201/25 (claim filed by Kimstachov O.S.) – seeking recognition as unlawful and annulment of a decision and an order to take certain actions (competition to the High Anti-Corruption Court: special joint meeting of the Commission with the Public Council of International Experts).
7. Case No. 990/440/25 (claim filed by Boiuka V.V.) – seeking recognition and an order to take certain actions (access to public information).

 

By judgments of the Grand Chamber of the Supreme Court:

 

• In case No. 990/62/24 (claim filed by Honcharenko O.O.), the Commission’s appeal was allowed, the decision of the Administrative Cassation Court within the Supreme Court dated 07 August 2025 was set aside, and Honcharenko O.O.’s claim was dismissed (qualification assessment for suitability for the held position).
• In case No. 990/157/25 (claim filed by Murin O.S.), the plaintiff’s appeal against the decision of the Administrative Cassation Court within the Supreme Court dated 24 September 2025 was dismissed (competition to the courts of appeal: approval of the results of the practical assignment).
• In cases No. 990/446/25 (claim filed by Tsarikova O.V.); No. 990/35/25 (claim filed by Kulikov A.V.); No. 990/516/25 (claim filed by Osipova H.V.), the plaintiffs’ appeals against the decisions (rulings) of the Administrative Cassation Court within the Supreme Court were dismissed (miscellaneous matters).

 

Document flow

 Documents were processed:

• 2 318 – incoming documents;
• 962 – outgoing documents.

962 inquiries and appeals were reviewed:

• 6 lawyer’s requests;
• 74 requests for information;
• 176 appeals;
• 706 other inquiries.

 

Assistance in the implementation of judicial career procedures will be gladly provided, and proposals for improving Commission’s work will be considered!

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