You're reading: PACE requests for expert opinion towards bill on Ukraine’s judicial governance

The Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has asked the Venice Commission to provide an expert opinion towards the bill on Ukraine’s judicial governance.

“The Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe requested the opinion of the Venice Commission on the recent amendments to the legal framework in Ukraine governing the Supreme Court and judicial self-governing bodies,” reads a report released on the website of the Venice Commission.

Previously, Secretary General of the Council of Europe Maria Pejchinovic-Buric addressed to Foreign Minister of Ukraine Vadym Prystaiko with concerns over the possible adoption by the Verkhovna Rada of a bill amending some laws of Ukraine regarding the activities of the judiciary (No. 1008), which provides, inter alia, a reduction in the number of judges of the Supreme Court and changes in the activities of the High Qualifications Commission of Judges (HQCJ), the High Council of Justice (HCJ).

As reported, on September 12, the Verkhovna Rada adopted a bill that proposes to amend the activities of the High Qualifications Commission of Judges (HQCJ), the High Council of Justice (HCJ) and reduce the number of members of the Supreme Court.

It is proposed to extend the lustration to the leaders of the HQCJ and the State Judicial Administration, who held their positions for at least a year from November 21, 2013 to May 19, 2019. Corresponding changes will be made into the law on the purification of power.

The law on the judicial system and status of the court proposes to consolidate the reduction in the quantitative composition of the Supreme Court from 200 to 100 judges, to clarify that the HQCJ will be a collegial body.

The Supreme Court, in turn, turned on September 30 to President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and head of parliament Dmytro Razumkov with a proposal to receive an expert opinion from the Venice Commission regarding t