From International Projects to the High Council of Justice: How Tetiana Tsuviina's Interview in the Ethics Council Took Place

The procedure for forming the High Council of Justice involves not only verifying the professional achievements of candidates but also a deeper analysis of their reputation, behavior, and compliance with integrity standards. Within the powers defined by Article 9-1 of the Law of Ukraine "On the High Council of Justice," the Ethics Council evaluates candidates through the lens of professional ethics, independence, and the ability to perform the functions of a member of the constitutional judicial governance body.

The interview with Tetiana Andriivna Tsuviina, which took place on July 8, 2026, showed that during the current competition, attention is paid not only to the origin of property or the content of declarations. Equally important were questions of professional independence, the ability to resist possible political influence, transparency of income, and the candidate's readiness to provide comprehensive explanations regarding any circumstances of their professional activity.

Tetiana Andriivna Tsuviina is a Doctor of Law, professor, and specialist in civil procedure and international justice. In recent years, she has participated in a number of international projects aimed at reforming Ukrainian legislation and harmonizing it with European Union law.

One notable episode of the interview was the candidate's participation in the selection commission for the Head of the National Agency on Corruption Prevention in 2023–2024.

During the interview, members of the Ethics Council informed that on the eve of the meeting, they received information from the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office about a criminal proceeding investigating possible attempts to influence members of the selection commission by certain representatives of the executive branch. At the same time, the Ethics Council did not assert Tetiana Tsuviina's involvement in any unlawful actions, and the questions asked were aimed at clarifying circumstances that could be relevant to assessing her compliance with the criteria of professional ethics and integrity.

Tetiana Tsuviina categorically denied any attempts of external influence on her activities. She stated that she had not received any recommendations, instructions, or unofficial candidate lists from officials of the Cabinet of Ministers or other state authorities. According to the candidate, she learned about the existence of the relevant criminal proceeding only during the interview.

She also explained that if she had received any illegal proposals or attempts of influence, she would have informed other members of the selection commission and contacted competent law enforcement agencies. Responding to the Ethics Council's questions, the candidate emphasized that during her work in the selection commission, she acted exclusively within the law and relevant procedures.

At the same time, the mere existence of a criminal proceeding or receipt of information from a law enforcement agency does not indicate the establishment of guilt of any person and is not evidence of their involvement in possible offenses. According to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent until their guilt is proven in a lawful manner and established by a final court verdict. Therefore, the Ethics Council assessed not the legal aspects of the information but the candidate's explanations and their significance for verifying her compliance with the criteria of professional ethics and integrity defined by the Law of Ukraine "On the High Council of Justice."

The second major part of the interview concerned the candidate's financial transparency. Council members noted the increase in her income and savings over recent years and asked her to explain their sources.

Tetiana Tsuviina stated that the main sources of her income are teaching and scientific activities, expert work as an individual entrepreneur, and participation in international technical assistance projects.

According to the candidate, she worked on analyzing Ukrainian legislation for compliance with European Union law, preparing expert opinions, and developing recommendations for judicial system reform.

During the interview, the Ethics Council focused primarily on clarifying the sources of the candidate's income and their correspondence to the declared professional activity. Council members also evaluated the completeness and consistency of the explanations provided.

A separate part of the interview was devoted to property issues. Ethics Council members noted an apartment in Kharkiv of over 100 square meters registered to the candidate's mother and her husband's mother.

Tetiana Tsuviina explained in detail the mechanism of acquiring the property, the distribution of funds among family members, and the sources of financing. In particular, she stated that part of the funds came from the sale of a land plot owned by her husband.

The registration of the apartment to the parents was explained by family arrangements and the desire to regulate possible property issues among relatives, noting that all parties involved have legal education and consciously chose this form of registration.

Council members also inquired about the candidate's stay in the Austrian city of Graz after the start of the full-scale war.

Tetiana Tsuviina reported that she was there as part of a scientific program and received an academic scholarship from the university. She emphasized that she did not use social benefits from the Austrian government and that her stay abroad was exclusively related to scientific activity.

During the interview, the Ethics Council checked the completeness of property declarations, the consistency of explanations with the competition dossier materials, and the absence of reasonable doubts about the legality of funds and transparency of property transactions. The mere fact of asking such questions did not indicate violations or non-compliance with the criteria of professional ethics and integrity but was part of the standard evaluation procedure provided by the Law of Ukraine "On the High Council of Justice." The explanations provided were taken into account by the Ethics Council when making the final decision based on the competition results.

The interview also discussed the candidate's professional experience and her vision of the activities of a future member of the High Council of Justice.

Tetiana Tsuviina emphasized that many years of work on projects implementing European standards in the field of justice allowed her to deeply understand the problems of the Ukrainian judicial system.

She noted that one of the main challenges remains ensuring the independence of judges while improving disciplinary responsibility mechanisms, as well as implementing international recommendations on judicial governance.

For the Ethics Council, this part was an opportunity to assess not only the candidate's integrity but also her level of professional competence and readiness to work as part of the constitutional body.

Practice of forming integrity standards

The interview materials indicate that during the 2026 competition, the Ethics Council comprehensively evaluated candidates. The review focused on independence from possible external influence, sources of income, property issues, professional reputation, and the candidate's ability to provide consistent and convincing explanations regarding circumstances of their biography.

At the same time, the mere presence of information about criminal proceedings or notifications from other bodies did not automatically determine the outcome. The Council checked whether there were factual circumstances that could cast doubt on the professional ethics of a particular candidate.

The interview also showed that international expert activity and participation in justice reform projects can be important factors when assessing a candidate's professional reputation, but they do not exempt them from the need to explain in detail all questions regarding property, income, or professional biography.

It is the combination of documents, logical explanations, and the absence of circumstances that raise reasonable doubts about compliance with the criteria of professional ethics and integrity that can be the basis for a positive decision of the Ethics Council regarding the candidate.

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