The Committee on the Rule of Law and Justice recommends that the Parliament should reject the draft law on amendments to the Law “On the Court System and the Status of Judges” (re qualification requirements to be elected as a judge of a higher level)

Information Department of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Secretariat
20 June 2013, 17:54

The bill (Reg. No. 2711) suggests amend part four of article 26, part three of article 31 and part two of article 39 of the Law “On the Court System and the Status of Judges” and establish that the Court of Appeal is composed of judges permanently elected to the post of a judge; the Higher Specialized Court is composed of judges permanently elected to the post of a judge and possessing work experience not less than seven years, of which not less than two years they have served at the post of a judge of the Court of Appeal; and the person possessing work experience at the post of a judge not less than fifteen years, of which not less than five years at the post of a judge of the Higher Specialized Court can be elected as a judge of the Supreme Court.         

People’s deputies believe that the suggested requirements do not consider the principle of specialization in building the system of courts of general jurisdiction in Ukraine and cannot contribute to staffing judicial system with more qualified and experienced personnel.