You're reading: Justice ​m​inister sees himself as a corruption fighter

Pavlo Petrenko, 34, sees fighting corruption and cutting the Justice Ministry’s staff as his key tasks. He became minister on Feb. 27 in the wake of the EuroMaidan Revolution, part of the "kamikaze government” led by Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk.

“When I was appointed to be the new justice minister, I could either go with the stream or break the system to the root. I chose the second option,” Petrenko wrote after his first 100 days in office.

Serhiy Pionkovsky, co-managing partner of Baker & McKenzie law firm, approves some of the ministry’s recent actions, but says that “a lot still remains to be done.”

Ukraine’s legal community greeted Petrenko’s appointment with high expectations once he replaced the disgraced Olena Lukash, who is accused of negligence and was a close ally of fugitive ex-President Viktor Yanykovych.

The minister previously served as a member of parliament in the Batkivshchyna party faction, after practicing law beginning in the early 2000s. Unlike other EuroMaidan-backed government officials, Petrenko was not criticized for gaining office simply for his anti-Yanukovych stance. His expertise is recognized by the legal community.

Petrenko took a radical approach to laying off underqualified employees. Right after he took office, he summoned the heads of the ministry’s regional departments and made them pass a test that would demonstrate their legal expertise – similar to those given to four-year students of law schools. As a result, as many as 40 top employees failed and lost their jobs.

The main goal, however, has been fighting corruption. In his progress report, he claims to be satisfied with the initial results. Among them is the adoption of an anti-corruption law, which is part of an action plan to secure visa-free travel for Ukrainians to the European Union.

The law increases punishment for corruption-related offenses. Previously, offering a bribe was not a criminal offense. Also, control over the incomes and property of officials was intensified.

Under the previous government, corruption fighting didn’t yield impressive results. In 2013, only 74 people were punished for corruption out of 2,345 investigations that were launched.

“Every new government starts with anti-corruption initiatives,” says Maksym Lavrynovych of Lavrynovych & Partners law firm. “Anti-corruption efforts have been going on for a long time, in accordance with the visa-regime liberalization plan.”

Unfortunately, Lavrynovych says, the incomes of low-level officials were decreased by 50 percent recently. “So, on the one hand the government makes this good move increasing liability for corruption, and on the other hand it pushes (the officials) to committing such crimes,” observes Lavrynovych.

Petrenko has spearheaded a bill to restore public trust in judges. Essentially, the bill calls for reviews of rules made involving the dirty 2012 parliamentary elections, the EuroMaidan protests and the sentencing of protesters. Those found guilty of unjust decisions would be dismissed.

Petrenko says members of civil society and the legal community took part in drafting the law. Lavrynovych, however, downplays the legal community’s participation, arguing that it was “very limited.”

Petrenko’s also managing the introduction of an electronic system of issuing notary licenses. Applicants for notary service positions will have to pass an online examination. Meanwhile, the bribe for becoming a notary has risen to $160,000 in Kyiv, Petrenko says in his report.

Pionkovsky of Baker & McKenzie said: “A reform of the outdated state enforcement service is badly required. One change is to introduce private enforcement offices in Ukraine. This practice exists in some European countries and it has proved to be very successful.”