11 November 2026, 15:32
On November 11, 2026, during its plenary meeting, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine passed in the first reading Draft Law of Ukraine “On Amendments to the Civil Procedure Code of Ukraine and the Code of Administrative Justice of Ukraine Concerning the Improvement of the Procedure for Considering Cases by the High Anti-Corruption Court” (Reg. No.16043 dated September 4, 2026), submitted by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.
The draft law, passed in the first reading, is designed to ensure proper dynamics in the judicial consideration of cases on declaring assets unjustified and their forfeiture to the state, as well as cases on applying the sanction provided for in Clause 1-1, Part One, Article 4 of the Law of Ukraine “On Sanctions,” which fall under the jurisdiction of the High Anti-Corruption Court.
Specifically, the draft law proposes amendments to the Civil Procedure Code of Ukraine and the Code of Administrative Justice of Ukraine regarding the consideration of civil and administrative cases within the jurisdiction of the High Anti-Corruption Court, particularly the proposed amendments to the Civil Procedure Code of Ukraine provide for:
establish a general rule that cases on declaring assets unjustified and their forfeiture to the state shall be heard by a single judge;
specify the list of subjects whose involvement allows for the consideration of a case on declaring assets unjustified and their forfeiture to the state by a panel of judges;
identify the party entitled to move the court for a panel review of the case;
impose an obligation on the court to explain the right to a panel review of a case on declaring assets unjustified and their forfeiture to the state in the order initiating proceedings, provided a specified subject is involved;
set the time limit within which a party may submit a motion for a panel review;
outline the procedural consequences of missing the deadline for submitting a motion for a panel review.
Additionally, the draft law provides for amendments to the Code of Administrative Justice of Ukraine to eliminate the provision requiring that cases on the application of the sanction provided for in Clause 11, Part One, Article 4 of the Law of Ukraine “On Sanctions,” within the jurisdiction of the HACC, be heard at first instance by a three-judge panel.
According to the sponsor of the legislative initiative, the adoption of the bill will enhance the operational efficiency of the HACC as a court of first instance by significantly reducing individual judicial workloads and ensuring the proper dynamics of criminal proceedings in compliance with reasonable time limits.