You're reading: Legal experts say new court law will diminish judicial independence

The Law on the Court System and Judge Status adopted by parliament and signed July 27 by President Viktor Yanukovych contradicts European norms, human rights activists and legal scholars say.

In an interview with the German information agency Deutsche Welle, legal expert Ihor Kolushko, said people should expect a "significant weakening in the independence of the judiciary" as a result of the new law.

"This will happen because of the increased authority of the High Council of Justice, because its membership does not meet the standards of a body charged with disciplining judges," Kolushko said.

Executive Director of the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union, Volodymyr Yavorsky, agreed. "Two thirds [of the 20 members on the High Council of Justice] are aligned with one political group," he said.

Read the entire Deutsche Welle article here.