The Advisory Expert Group rejected the challenge of international experts filed by Constitutional Court judge candidate Serhiy Sotnikov
The Advisory Expert Group reviewed and unanimously denied the challenge against the foreign members of the Group and their deputies, submitted by the candidate for the position of judge of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine, Serhiy Sotnikov.
The candidate, who holds the position of judge at the Northern Commercial Court of Appeal, justified his request by disagreeing with the provisions of the relevant law and the very fact of involving international experts in the evaluation procedure.
According to the head of the Advisory Expert Group, the candidate motivated the challenge by disagreeing with certain provisions of the Law of Ukraine "On the Constitutional Court of Ukraine," the approved procedure for evaluating candidates, as well as the involvement of international experts in the formation and work of the Advisory Expert Group.
During the consideration of the challenge, the Advisory Expert Group noted that it does not contain the grounds for disqualification provided for in part 30 of article 10-2 of the Law of Ukraine "On the Constitutional Court of Ukraine." In particular, the candidate did not provide circumstances indicating the existence of a real or potential conflict of interest or personal or business ties with members of the Advisory Expert Group.
In its decision, the Advisory Expert Group emphasized that a candidate’s disagreement with legislative regulation or the competition procedure itself is not a legal basis for disqualifying commission members.
As a result of reviewing the challenge, the Advisory Expert Group denied the disqualification of international experts Maureen O’Connor, Hanna Sukhotska, and Ales Zalara, who continued to participate in the candidate evaluation procedure.
The candidate for the position of judge of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine, Serhiy Sotnikov, did not appear for the interview, as on August 1, 2026, he submitted an official statement about his inability to participate personally. According to the Advisory Expert Group’s Methodology (part 6 of article 7), a candidate’s absence from the interview, regardless of the reasons, does not prevent the evaluation from taking place.
Thus, the Advisory Expert Group will determine the candidate’s compliance with the criterion of high moral qualities remotely based on the available materials.
Subscribe to our Telegram channel t.me/sudua and to Google News SUD.UA, as well as to our VIBER and WhatsApp, our page on Facebook and on Instagram to stay informed about the most important events.
