The High Council of Justice Supported the Appointment of Ihor Chaikin to the Appeals Chamber of the High Anti-Corruption Court: Interview Details and Controversial Issues

The High Council of Justice continues to review materials regarding the submission to the President of Ukraine for the appointment of judges to positions. Based on the review results, the HCJ decided to submit a recommendation to appoint Ihor Chaikin as a judge of the Appeals Chamber of the High Anti-Corruption Court.

About the Candidate to the Appeals Chamber of the HACC

Ihor Chaikin graduated in 2013 from the Yaroslav Mudryi National Law Academy of Ukraine, receiving a full higher education degree in Law and the qualification of a lawyer.

By the decree of the President of Ukraine dated October 12, 2012, he was appointed as a judge of the Zhovtnevyi District Court of Kryvyi Rih city, Dnipropetrovsk region (now the Pokrovskyi District Court of Kryvyi Rih city). He has significant judicial experience.

During the competition announced by the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine on June 3, 2025, Ihor Chaikin successfully passed all stages of qualification assessment. He scored 747.68 points and ranked 7th in the candidate rating for judges of the Appeals Chamber of the HACC. On June 22, 2026, the HQCJ submitted a recommendation regarding him to the High Council of Justice.

Questions from HCJ Members and Candidate's Explanations

During the meeting, members of the High Council of Justice asked Ihor Chaikin a number of clarifying questions. The candidate provided detailed answers to all questions.

Media Publication

HCJ members were interested in an article on the "Slidstvo.Info" website (August 2023) titled about a judge who "repeatedly closed cases regarding drunk drivers." Ihor Chaikin explained that the headline was clickbait. Some cases did not concern Article 130 of the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses (CUAO), others related to Article 126. After his explanations, the editorial office removed inaccuracies, corrected the material, and apologized.

Lawsuit Against the State Judicial Administration

In 2023, the candidate filed a lawsuit with the Kharkiv District Administrative Court regarding the procedure for calculating judicial remuneration. The lawsuit was partially satisfied. The decision has not yet been executed as enforcement orders have not been received.

Decisions in Russian Language

Three rulings adopted in Russian in 2014 in criminal cases (under the 1960 Criminal Procedure Code) were discussed. Ihor Chaikin explained that these were voluminous cases received after appeal. The case materials were conducted in Russian, and participants filed motions to conduct proceedings in Russian. After March 2014, all decisions were made exclusively in the state language.

Social Networks

The candidate was asked about accounts on "VKontakte" and "Odnoklassniki." Chaikin stated that after the start of armed aggression, he consciously stopped using them. The accounts were not technically deleted because deletion would require violating sanctions restrictions (re-authorization). Family members also do not use these networks.

Relatives in Occupied Territories

Contact with relatives living in the territory of the Russian Federation has been absent since 2014.

Foreign Trips

Before 2022 — cultural trips (visiting museums in European countries), one transit through Belarus. After the start of the full-scale invasion — only one official business trip to a seminar on war crimes.

Monitoring the Judicial Decisions Register

HCJ members were interested in over 100 search queries about himself and relatives (including the word "search" + HACC). Ihor Chaikin explained that the queries were related to preparation for numerous competitions, filling out questionnaires, and reputation protection. He constantly monitored information about himself because he often received inquiries from law enforcement agencies regarding proceedings in which he was not involved. After 2024, he significantly changed his search practice.

Participation in Other Competitions

The candidate confirmed that he participated in several competitions, including for positions in appellate courts. Participation in some competitions ends automatically.

After the discussion, the rapporteur stated the absence of circumstances that could call into question the candidate's integrity or professional ethics.

Based on the discussion results, the High Council of Justice unanimously supported (16 votes "for", 0 "against") submitting a recommendation to the President of Ukraine for the appointment of Ihor Chaikin as a judge of the Appeals Chamber of the High Anti-Corruption Court.

As "Judicial and Legal Newspaper" wrote, the HCJ considered the issue of appointing Nataliya Movchan to the Appeals Chamber of the HACC and announced a break for additional study of materials.

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