The State Judicial Administration Appeals to the Ministry of Finance Regarding Additional Funding for Judges' Remuneration

The State Judicial Administration reported ongoing discussions with the Ministry of Finance regarding additional funding. This funding is crucial for paying judges' remuneration at the rate established by Law No. 4905-IX.

It was noted that on 9 June 2026, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted Law No. 4905-IX, "On Amendments to the Law of Ukraine 'On the Judiciary and the Status of Judges' and the Law of Ukraine 'On the High Council of Justice' regarding the improvement of judges' integrity declarations and judges' family ties." This document came into force on 25 June 2026. The law amended Article 135 of the Law "On the Judiciary and the Status of Judges" with a new provision: the basic official salary of a judge can now be determined exclusively based on the subsistence minimum for able-bodied persons, as established by the State Budget Law for the respective year. In 2026, this amount is 3,328 hryvnias.

The State Judicial Administration highlighted that, according to Articles 48 and 51 of the Budget Code of Ukraine, budget managers can only undertake budget commitments and make payments within the limits of budget allocations specified in their estimates.

Commitments made by a participant in the budget process without appropriate budget allocations, or exceeding the powers established by this Code and the Law on the State Budget of Ukraine (or local budget decision), are not considered budget commitments (except for expenses made according to part six of this article) and are not eligible for payment from budget funds. Making such commitments constitutes a violation of budget legislation, and budget funds will not be used to cover them.

It is important to note that amendments to the Law of Ukraine "On the State Budget of Ukraine for 2026," which would provide for an increase in funding for judges' remuneration as defined by Article 135 of the Law of Ukraine "On the Judiciary and the Status of Judges," have not yet been introduced. The current budget allocations for 2026 are insufficient to make payments at the new rate.

To address this issue and ensure the proper implementation of Article 135 of the Law of Ukraine "On the Judiciary and the Status of Judges," the State Judicial Administration of Ukraine, in collaboration with the Council of Judges of Ukraine, sent a letter (No. 11-13497/26) to the Ministry of Finance on 26 June 2026. This letter provided justification for the need for additional funds from the general fund of the state budget.

On 10 July 2026, the State Judicial Administration of Ukraine again approached the Ministry of Finance with letter No. 11-14373/26, proposing amendments to the expenditure schedule of the special fund of the state budget.

The proposal suggests financing the increase from surplus revenues from court fees, as well as from the balance of funds as of 1 January 2026.

The State Judicial Administration further stated, "If the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine agrees to increase the budget allocations, the calculation and payment of judges' remuneration in full will be made taking into account the effective date of Law No. 4905-IX – that is, from 25 June 2026."

Earlier, the Judicial-Legal Newspaper reported that on 14 July, the High Council of Justice (HCJ) unanimously supported an appeal to the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, regarding ensuring constitutional guarantees for the financing of the judiciary.

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