On January 17, 2025, the conference “Pathways to Progress: Germany-Ukraine Dialogues on the Rule of Law for EU Accession” was held in Berlin (Federal Republic of Germany). The High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine was represented by the Deputy Chairman of the Commission Oleksii Omelian and the Commission Member Ruslan Sydorovych.
The conference was organized by the public organization “Civil Network “OPORA” with the support of the project “Strengthening Ukraine’s rule of law for EU accession” (3*E4U) of the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ).
As a part of the event, a discussion was held on the topic “Advancing Judicial Reform in Ukraine: Modernization and Strengthening Accountability”. Participants deliberated on mechanisms to ensure comprehensive judicial disciplinary accountability in Ukraine, ways to improve the judicial selection process, and necessary steps to enhance public trust in Ukraine’s judiciary.
Oleksii Omelian informed attendees about the critical staffing crisis within the judiciary, providing a retrospective analysis. He reviewed the number of judicial vacancies in November 2019, when the powers of the HQCJU were legally suspended, in 2022 at the onset of large-scale aggression, and in June 2023, at the time of the appointment of the Commission’s newly established composition.
The Deputy Chairman of the HQCJU outlined the primary procedures currently undertaken by the Commission, including competitions for positions at the High Anti-Corruption Court and courts of appeal, qualification evaluation of judges and the selection of judges for local courts in 2025.
Mr. Omelian expressed gratitude to international partners for their assistance in ensuring the rule of law in Ukraine and supporting judicial reforms.
Ruslan Sydorovych provided an overview of the current situation in courts of various jurisdictions. He highlighted alarming circumstances, noting an increasing number of courts that risk being left without active judges.
Additionally, he emphasized the critical role of the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine in conducting competitions for vacant judicial positions, adhering to the principles of ethics, integrity, and professionalism, especially in the context of integration processes.
The participants of the event also included the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration – Minister of Justice of Ukraine Olha Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of National Unity of Ukraine Oleksii Chernyshov, Deputy Minister of Justice of Ukraine for European Integration Liudmyla Suhak, Adviser to the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration – Minister of Justice of Ukraine Polina Li, Chair of the Board of the “Civil Network “OPORA” Olha Aivazovska, Head of the Political Department at the Representation of the European Commission in Germany Manika Hauptmann, Director of the Institute for European Politics (IEP) Funda Tekin, leading legal expert of the 3*E4U project Professor John Morijn, Vice President of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe Professor Angelika Nussberger, and other experts.