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Reuters: Ukraine faces an acute shortage of judges. Thousands of judicial vacancies need to be filled and sitting judges must be vetted for possible misconduct. This work is crucial to tackling the backlog of cases and establishing the rule of law, a prerequisite for Ukraine’s EU aspirations. President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his desire for Ukraine to join the EU even before the conflict with Russia in 2022, emphasizing the need to fight corruption and develop good governance. However, public confidence in Ukrainian courts remains low due to historical problems with corruption.
Reforming the judiciary after the 2014 Maidan has faced difficulties and systemic resistance, resulting in a large number of vacancies and a backlog of cases. The confrontation with Russia further complicates the situation. Under pressure from the EU, the governing bodies responsible for hiring judges and discipline have been reinstated and vacancies are scheduled to be filled. This is the first step in a lengthy hiring process that could involve up to 7,000 interviews. In addition, 2,000 sitting judges need to be vetted. Another challenge is ensuring the political independence of the higher judiciary, as some judges have been involved in corruption and political influence. In particular, the Constitutional Court has been criticized for trying to undo anti-corruption reforms.
The EU also recommended that Kiev adopt a law giving international experts more power in determining the composition of the Constitutional Court, which currently has five vacancies. Overall, the modernization of the judiciary is part of a broader effort to fight corruption, a major concern for Ukrainians. Despite the difficulties, the goal of the reform is to create an independent judiciary and restore public confidence in the legal system.
The entire article can be read at the link https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/wanted-thousands-ukrainian-judges-huge-overhaul-sought-by-eu-2023-10-19/
