On September 13, 2024, Chairman of the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine Andrii Pasichnyk and Deputy Chairman Oleksii Omelian took part in a meeting with the heads of the appellate courts held at the Supreme Court.
The main focus of the meeting was on the current state of administration of justice in the courts and the problems of the functioning of the judiciary.
The Chairman of the Commission informed the participants of the meeting that on September 11, 2024, the Commission decided to schedule a qualification exam as part of the competition for 550 vacant positions of judges in the appellate courts. From October 02 to 23, 2024, 1,837 candidates will be tested on general knowledge of law and knowledge of the specialization of the relevant court. For the first time, the HQCJ will ensure that the test procedures are conducted using computer technology, which will ensure maximum efficiency and objectivity of the candidates’ work. In the future, the Commission will determine the dates and procedure for the next two stages – testing of cognitive abilities and completion of a practical task in the specialization of the relevant court.
Andrii Pasichnyk emphasized the critical shortage of judges in the appellate courts, which jeopardises the timely consideration of cases, burdens judges and, as a result, affects public access to justice.
“The Commission understands the seriousness of this problem. We are actively working to accelerate competitions for vacant positions in the appellate courts to remedy this situation. Today, our goal is to ensure a transparent and efficient process of selecting judges in order to fill the vacancies as soon as possible”, – the HQCJ Chairman highlighted.
The Chairman of the Commission also informed about the joint actions of the HQCJ, the HCJ and the SJA to improve the procedures for secondment of judges whose territorial jurisdiction has been changed. Andrii Pasichnyk told the meeting participants about the upcoming selection to local courts, in particular, about the need to take measures to fill vacant positions promptly.
The meeting was also attended by the Chairmen of the Supreme Court, the High Council of Justice, the State Judicial Administration of Ukraine, the Council of Judges of Ukraine, and the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Legal Policy.
