You're reading: Yanukovych notes political pressure on Ukraine’s judicial system

Ukraine's President Viktor Yanukovych has said that there has recently been political pressure put on the country's judicial system.

"Political pressure has negatively influenced the work of the judicial system and, unfortunately, some judges yield to this pressure," the president said during a meeting with the Higher Council of Justice on Tuesday at the Presidential Administration.

The president described this as evidence of "corruption" that must be eradicated. At the same time, Yanukovych noted that he would not like to see judges being humiliated.

"But there is such evidence [of corruption] and we must take it into account," the head of the state said.

Yanukovych also noted cases in which some courts "made clearly wrong rulings."

According to the president, the judges who made these rulings must not remain in the judicial system. Yanukovych also said he hoped that new members of the Higher Council of Justice would be able to protect themselves from political pressure.