Anti-Corruption Center Questions Effectiveness of New Judge Vetting Rules

Ukraine’s Anti-Corruption Action Center has sharply criticized a new law on judges’ integrity declarations, saying parliament failed to use a key opportunity to strengthen the oversight of the judiciary amid recent high-profile corruption cases, including ones involving Supreme Court judges.

In a statement on X, the organization said that Bill No. 13165-2, presented as an improvement to integrity declarations, barely adds any additional checking on judges – while at the same time increasing salaries and pensions for already highly paid judges instead of directing the money to the military and court staff.

“Deputies had a chance to introduce an effective tool for vetting judges, including those of the Supreme Court, but they squandered it,” the Anti-Corruption Action Center said.

In particular, the Center pointed to the removal of the key property section from the integrity declaration, which had previously required judges to confirm that their lifestyle matches their official income. The change, it said, weakens the ability to detect unjustified wealth.

The statement also explains that liability for false information now arises only when it is proven that a judge intentionally submitted incorrect data – allowing judges to defend themselves by claiming they “forgot” to provide information or “misunderstood” certain details.

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Claims, such as “did not commit corruption offenses,” will now only be verified only after a court decision has entered into legal force, calling into question the practical value of such checks.

Verification of claims about family ties has been removed. The Anti-Corruption Center says this undermines efforts to detect conflicts of interest or hidden assets held through relatives. 

For some items, the reporting period has been narrowed to just one year. 

“That is, if a judge submits a declaration for the first time in 2026, but has traveled to Russia in 2024, that fact will not be checked,” the Center explained, adding that involving international experts in vetting Supreme Court judges will not produce meaningful results if the declarations themselves are weak.

Former Supreme Court chief jailed in bribery case after plea deal

The Anti-Corruption Center’s criticism follows its announcement Monday that former Supreme Court head Vselovod Kniaziev had reached a plea deal with prosecutors, turning him from being the main suspect in a multi-million dollar bribery scheme into a key witness against other Supreme Court judges. 

According to the Center, the High Anti-Corruption Court approved the agreement, found Kniaziev guilty of taking bribes in exchange for “favorable” rulings, and sentenced him to five years in prison with confiscation of property.

Kniaziev agreed to donate around $1.1 million to the Armed Forces of Ukraine via the “Come Back Alive” charity. 

With his plea deal and a newly approved cooperation agreement, Kniaziev becomes a central witness in explaining how the “back office” worked and how money flowed from business interests into the country’s highest court.