The draft law No. 3423 offers to rule that the hearing of criminal proceedings at court of first instance touching crimes entailing imprisonment of over 10 years will be conducted on a collegiate basis in presence of three professional judges under respective appeal of the defendant. In absence of the appeal, the case shall be considered unilaterally by one judge.
The importance of the draft law was explained with the fact that in compliance with the effective wording of Section 2, Article 31 of the effective Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine, the hearing of criminal proceedings at court of first instance touching the crimes entailing the imprisonment of over 10 years will be conducted on a collegiate basis in presence of three professional judges.
The Committee members consider that the adoption of the draft law will improve the mechanism of criminal proceedings at courts of first instance.