The Council of Judges appealed to the High Council of Justice regarding the future of the High Qualification Commission of Judges: current members' terms are expiring

The Council of Judges of Ukraine has appealed to the High Council of Justice with a proposal to start the procedure for forming a competition commission to conduct the competition for the positions of members of the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine.

The corresponding decision No. 19 of the Council of Judges of Ukraine was adopted on June 5, 2026.

The document states that to date the competition commission, which is supposed to select candidates for the High Qualification Commission of Judges, has not yet been formed. According to the members of the Council of Judges of Ukraine, this situation creates objective risks for the timely formation of the composition of the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine upon the expiration of the current members' term, considering the duration of the relevant procedures.

In view of this, the Council of Judges of Ukraine proposed that the High Council of Justice consider the issue of starting the selection of candidates for the competition commission, which will subsequently conduct the competition for the positions of members of the High Qualification Commission of Judges.

The Council of Judges draws attention to the fact that according to the staffing standards approved by the High Council of Justice, the normative need for the number of judges in local and appellate courts for 2026 is 11,539 positions. However, the actual number of judges currently administering justice in local and appellate courts, according to the State Judicial Administration of Ukraine, is only 4,215 judges.

Considering the above, the issue of staffing the judicial corps becomes especially relevant, and the corresponding procedures must be characterized by continuity. Such continuity must be ensured by the bodies vested by law with powers in this area – primarily the High Council of Justice and the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine.

In 2027, the terms of office of the members of the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine will expire. In January 2027, the terms of office of the members of the High Council of Justice elected by the Congress of Judges of Ukraine, who according to the law participate in forming the composition of the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine, will also expire.

To date, the competition commission for conducting the competition for the position of member of the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine has not been formed, which creates objective risks for the timely formation of the composition of the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine upon the expiration of the current members' term, considering the duration of the relevant procedures, the Council of Judges emphasizes.

The Council explains their concern by the fact that in 2025 the Council of Judges conducted a selection of candidates under its quota and proposed candidates to the High Council of Justice for appointment to the positions of members of the Competition Commission to conduct the competition for the position of member of the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine.

However, as a result of the selection, even taking into account the extension of the document submission period, the number of persons who expressed their intention to participate in the selection and submitted documents as of the date of the decision was limited and practically corresponded to the number of vacant positions under the quota of the Council of Judges of Ukraine – three persons, although the law provides for at least two candidates per position.

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