On November 6, 2024, the Chairman of the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine Andrii Pasichnyk took part at a regular monthly online meeting of representatives of international technical assistance projects working to strengthen the Rule of Law. The event is traditionally organized with the support of the USAID Justice for All Program.
The main topic of the meeting was to discuss the achievements, plans, priority areas of the Commission’s work, and current competition procedures. Thus, Andrii Pasichnyk spoke about the results of the completed competitions to the courts of first instance, the introduction of an electronic dossier of a candidate for the position of judge and the qualification evaluation for the position with the participation of the Public Integrity Council.
The Chairman of the Commission drew attention to the urgent issue of filling judicial vacancies in the courts of appeal, as as of June 01, 2023, i.e. at the time of the start of the work of the newly established HQCJU, the share of vacant positions in these courts was 48%. He noted the important role of international projects that assist the Commission in conducting the qualification exam. First of all, this concerns testing candidates for cognitive abilities, as public authorities do not have the capacity to develop such tests on their own.
Andrii Pasichnyk thanked the partners for their support in preparing for the qualification exam as part of the competition to the High Anti-Corruption Court and its Appeal Chamber and expressed hope that the problems with the developer of the cognitive testing software would be resolved promptly.
The Commission is aware of the importance of completing the competitive procedures, which are not only a responsibility to society but also part of the state’s international obligations, and is consolidating all its potential to ensure that the stages of the qualification exam in the ongoing competitions are completed this year,” the HQCJU leader emphasized.
The Chairman of the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine reported on the work plans for 2025 and challenges. At the end of the meeting, he once again stressed the exceptional importance of the material, technical and expert assistance of international partners for the work of the institution and answered questions from the participants.