If the court asks to buy stationery or pay postal expenses — are such demands legal
Participants in court hearings are not obliged to provide courts with stationery, pay for postal services, or bear any other expenses related to the activities of judicial institutions. The financing of courts is carried out from the state budget, and their material, technical, and organizational support falls under the authority of the State Judicial Administration of Ukraine.
The SJA emphasizes that the practice of asking citizens to bring paper for the court or pay postal expenses themselves due to a lack of resources is unacceptable for a rule-of-law state.
Are participants in court proceedings obliged to provide the court with stationery?
Ensuring the functioning of courts is the state's responsibility. Therefore, demands on participants in court proceedings to purchase paper, stationery, or pay for services necessary for the court's work do not comply with the established procedure for financing the judicial system.
How does the SJA respond to reports of resource shortages in courts?
The territorial offices of the SJA constantly monitor the material and technical condition of courts in the regions. They respond both to official citizen appeals and to reports on social networks where people report cases when they were asked to provide the court with stationery or pay certain expenses.
Publications by judges and court staff regarding problems with the provision of institutions are also monitored. All received information is verified.
What measures are taken to ensure courts are supplied?
To prevent the spread of false information and avoid similar cases, the territorial offices of the SJA provide court administrations with explanations about the necessity of timely reporting the needs of institutions for prompt resolution of supply issues.
Additionally, participants in court proceedings are informed about these measures through official websites and social media pages.
What to do if the court asks for money or paper
The SJA urges citizens to report cases when court employees ask for money, paper, or other materials to support judicial proceedings.
To do this, it is necessary to send an appeal to the official email address of the territorial office of the SJA in the respective region and duplicate it to the address of the SJA of Ukraine.
What information should be included in the appeal
The appeal must include:
- the full name of the applicant;
- contact details for feedback;
- information about the court where the incident occurred;
- circumstances under which the applicant was asked to provide money or stationery for the court's needs.
The SJA emphasizes that timely reporting of such situations allows for prompt verification of facts and necessary response measures.
Subscribe to our Telegram channel t.me/sudua and to Google News SUD.UA, as well as to our VIBER and WhatsApp, pages on Facebook and Instagram to stay informed about the most important events.
