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Overview of the Results of the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine in September 2025

06.10.2025

OVERVIEW OF THE RESULTS

 OF THE HIGH QUALIFICATION COMMISSION OF JUDGES OF UKRAINE

September 2025

Procedures of the judicial career

Selection for the position of a local court judge

From September 09 to September 17, 2025, the third stage of the qualification exam was held – cognitive abilities test, in which 4,826 persons participated.

Based on the results of the cognitive abilities test, the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine took a decision on September 19, 2025, to admit the following persons to the fourth stage of the qualification exam, which involves performing a practical assignment:

400 persons – in local administrative courts specialisation (list available at the link);

411 persons – in local commercial courts specialisation (list available at the link);

2,851 persons – in local general courts specialisation (list available at the link).

A total of 3,049 participants continue to participate in the selection process.

On October 07, 2025, the Commission will begin the fourth stage of the qualification exam – completion of a practical assignment in the specialisation of the relevant court.

[more details]

 

Competition to the appellate courts

General statistics of the competition to the appellate courts

By specialisations

Stage

Administrative

Commercial

Criminal

Civil

TOTAL

Applied with applications

(1 candidate did not choose a specialisation)

191

185

912

787

2,076

Admitted to the competition and qualification evaluation

173

160

821

687

1,841

Successfully passed a test of knowledge in the field of law and in the specialization of the relevant court

132

134

703

619

1,588

Successfully passed the cognitive abilities test

105

98

507

410

1,120

Successfully completed practical assignment

67

83

452

255

857

Candidates ranking is approved

43

60

38

141

Recognized as  winners of the competition and recommended for the appointment

42

55

33

130

 

On September 19, 2025, the Commission took a decision to approve the ranking of candidates for vacant positions of judges at the Zhytomyr Court of Appeal based on the results of the qualification assessment within the competition and determined the winners of the competition.

On September 24, 2025, a decision was made to approve the ranking of candidates for vacant positions of judges at the Sumy Court of Appeal based on the results of the qualification assessment within the competition, and the winners of the competition were determined.

In September, the Commission conducted interviews with 23 candidates for the positions of judges of general courts of appeal:

- 13 candidates confirmed their ability to administer justice (4 – in the Zaporizhzhia Court of Appeal, 8 – in the Zakarpattia Court of Appeal, and 1 – in the Chernihiv Court of Appeal);

- interviews with 8 candidates will be held in the plenary session of the Commission (Zaporizhzhia Court of Appeal – 1, Zakarpattia Court of Appeal – 6, Chernihiv Court of Appeal – 1).

[more]

 

Competition to the High Anti-Corruption Court

From July 07 to August 06, 2025, the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine received documents from 205 persons who expressed their intention to participate in the competition for 23 vacant positions of judges of the High Anti-Corruption Court (announced on June 03, 2025).

By decisions of the Commission, 158 persons were admitted to the qualification assessment and participation in the competition. 47 persons were denied admission to the competition (qualification assessment).

The list of persons, admitted to qualification assessment and participation in the competition is available at the link – in Ukrainian.

On September 19, 2025, the Commission decided to hold a qualification assessment as part of the competition, specifically a qualification exam, and set a schedule for testing knowledge of the history of Ukrainian statehood.

On October 01, 2025, the Commission began the first stage of the qualification exam – testing knowledge of the history of Ukrainian statehood.

 

 

Secondments                                      

5 notifications on secondments were received from the State Judicial Administration of Ukraine.

The Commission considered the issues of secondments:

  • to 13 courts due to excessive judicial workload or impossibility to administer justice;
  • from 1 court due to a change in the territorial jurisdiction of court cases.

 

The issue of early termination of the secondment of judges and their simultaneous secondment in relation to three judges was considered.

It was recommended to second judges to the following courts:

  • Kamianka-Buzkyi Raion Court of Lviv Oblast (1 judge);
  • Solomianskyi District Court of Kyiv City (1 judge).
 

Qualification assessment for suitability of a judge for his/her position held and in connection with the imposition of a disciplinary sanction

Interviews were conducted with three judges:

Liubov Kodrian, Apostolivskyy Raion Court of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast – suitable for the position held.

Liubov Marulina, Kyiv Circuit Administrative Court – not suitable for the position held.

Olena Muzyka, Novoukrainskyi Raion Court of Kirovohrad Oblast – suitable for the position held.

The qualification assessment of 25 judges was terminated:

 

Important decisions of the Commission

For the purposes of qualification assessment, an Expert Council has been established to assist the Commission in determining whether candidates for the positions of judges of the Specialised Circuit Administrative Court and the Specialised Administrative Court of Appeal meet the criteria of integrity and professional competence. The Expert Council consists of six members: three persons nominated by the Council of Judges of Ukraine and three persons nominated by international (foreign) organisations.

[more]

The Regulation on Regular Assessment of Judges, developed in accordance with Article 90 of the Law of Ukraine “On the Judiciary and the Status of Judges” as provided for in paragraph 1.3 of the Roadmap on the Rule of Law, has been approved.

[more]

 

Data on the accounting of judges’ positions

Data on creation of 6 new vacant judicial positions have been included to the record:

In local courts – 5:

  • Prymorskyi District Court of Odesa City (resignation [1]);
  • Kherson City Court in Kherson Oblast (resignation [1]);
  • Dniprovskyi District Court of Kyiv City (resignation [1]);
  • Shevchenkivskyi District Court of Kyiv City (resignation [1]);
  • Commercial Court of Kharkiv Oblast (resignation [1]);

In the Supreme Court – 1:

  • Cassation Administrative Court of the Supreme Court (resignation [1]);

The records include data on reinstatement to the position of judge:

  • Dobropilskyi City-Raion Court of Donetsk Oblast [1];

[more]

 

Sessions

39 sessions were held, of which:

  • in plenary composition – 7;
  • in chamber composition – 8;
  • in Panel composition – 24.

[more]in Ukrainian

 

169 decisions of the Commission were adopted, of which:

  • on selection and appointment of judges – 1;
  • on transfer (secondment) of judges – 15;
  • on conducting checks of declarations of family ties and integrity of judges (candidates for the positions of judges) – 2;
  • on qualification assessment of judges – 7;
  • on conduction of competition for the positions of judges of the high specialised courts – 152;
  • on conduction of competition for the positions of judges of the appellate courts – 73;
  • on general issues – 18.

[more]in Ukrainian

 

 

Participation in the events

September 08, 2025 – Round table dedicated to issues of judicial disciplinary liability, held at the Supreme Court.

September 09, 2025 – VI Judges’ Forum “The Judiciary After War: Challenges, Solutions, and Paths to Development”, organised by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine in partnership with the Government of the Kingdom of Denmark.

September 10, 2025 – Meeting with representatives of the IMF to discuss the competition for the High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) and the establishment of specialised administrative courts.

September 10, 2025 – Interviews with candidates for the Expert Council under the quota of international organisations.

September 12, 2025 – Interviews with candidates for the Expert Council under the quota of the Council of Judges of Ukraine.

September 15, 2025 – Online meeting with national experts engaged by the Directorate of the Council of Europe to discuss the draft research project on the implementation of judgments in the “Oleksandr Volkov v. Ukraine” group of cases.

September 16, 2025 – Online meeting organised by the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine to discuss the implementation status of the measures under Ukraine’s Plan.

September 17, 2025 – Online meeting with representatives of the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine and the European Commission regarding the monitoring of the implementation of Ukraine’s Plan.

September 17, 2025 – Meeting with GIZ representatives and national and international experts to discuss the Commission’s legal acts regulating the reasoning of decisions, as well as methodologies and approaches for analysing Commission decisions in order to develop relevant recommendations.

September 24, 2025 – Meeting organised by the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine to systematise needs for the proper implementation of measures under Block “I. Justice” of the Rule of Law Roadmap, which may receive further support within international technical assistance projects (programs).

September 25, 2025 – Meeting with the presidents of appellate courts at the Supreme Court to discuss the current state of justice administration and issues related to the functioning of the judiciary.

September 26, 2025 – II Annual Judicial and Practical Conference “Unity of Judicial Practice: Key Legal Conclusions of the Supreme Court in 2025” to discuss key Supreme Court conclusions aimed at promoting the uniformity of judicial practice.

September 29, 2025 – Meeting with representatives of the Ministry of Economy regarding the implementation status of the Ukraine Plan 2025–2026.

 

Litigation

The Commission’s interests were represented in 43 hearings of the Supreme Court.

Court decisions upholding the Commission’s position:

  • Case No. 990/240/25 — Claim by I.H. Prylenskyi seeking recognition of the decision as unlawful and its annulment, and an order to perform certain actions (selection, admission).
  • Case No. 990/249/25 — Claim by V.I. Didkivska seeking annulment of the decision and an order to perform certain actions (selection, admission).
  • Case No. 990/211/25 — Claim by R.M. Rachynskyi seeking recognition of the decision as unlawful and invalid, and an order to perform certain actions (selection, admission).
  • Case No. 990/295/25 — Claim by D.L. Cherkez seeking recognition of the decisions as unlawful and their annulment, and an order to perform certain actions (selection, admission).
  • Case No. 990/157/25 — Claim by O.S. Murin seeking recognition of the decisions as unlawful and their partial annulment, and an order to perform certain actions (competition for appellate courts, approval of exam results).
  • Case No. 990/226/25 — Claim by V.B. Smetaniuk seeking recognition of the decisions as unlawful and their annulment (competition for appellate courts, approval of exam results).
  • Case No. 990/393/24 — Claim by P.O. Kovzel seeking recognition of the decision as unlawful and invalid (qualification assessment for compliance with the position held).
  • Case No. 990/246/25 — Claim by A.M. Mahda seeking recognition of inaction as unlawful and an order to perform certain actions.
  • Case No. 990/32/24 — Claim by P.V. Vovk seeking an order for the Commission to perform certain actions.
  • Case No. 990/35/25 — Claim by A.V. Kulykov seeking recognition of actions as unlawful, an order to perform certain actions, and compensation for damages.

By rulings of the Grand Chamber of the Supreme Court:

  1. In Case No. 990/147/24, the appeal by B.Z. Ben was dismissed, and the decision of the Administrative Cassation Court of the Supreme Court dated April 07, 2025, in his claim against the Commission seeking recognition of the decision as unlawful and its annulment, and an order to perform certain actions, was upheld.
  2. In Case No. 990/413/24, the appeal by V.I. Olshanchenko was dismissed, and the decision of the Administrative Cassation Court of the Supreme Court dated May 21, 2025, in his claim against the Commission seeking recognition of the decision as unlawful and its annulment, and an order to perform certain actions, was upheld.
 

Document flow

 Documents were processed:

  • 1732 – incoming documents;
  • 1209 – outgoing documents.

1209 inquiries and appeals were reviewed:

  • 17 lawyer’s requests;
  • 178 requests for information;
  • 49 appeals;
  • 965 other inquiries.

 

Assistance in the implementation of judicial career procedures will be gladly provided, and proposals for improving Commission’s work will be considered!

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