EuroMaidan Revolution
OP-ED
Halya Coynash: Attempts under way to reinstate repressive Jan 16 laws
Less than a month after dangerously repressive laws were revoked by Ukraine’s parliament, efforts are increasing to reinstate a number of the most worrying norms.
The latest attempt comes with formidable patrons, including the president, Viktor Yanukovych, in a bill proposing amendments to various legislative acts purportedly aimed at ‘strengthening specific guarantees for judges’ independence’. Changes to the judicial system were initiated in 2010, soon after Yanukovych came to power, and despite the titles, have consistently heightened pressure on judges and eroded their already fragile independence.