Ukrainian Parliament adopts law on selection of candidates for position of CCU judge
The Verkhovna Rada has adopted an important law on the selection of candidates for the position of a CCU judge (Photo: RBC-Ukraine, Vitalii Nosach)
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has passed in the second reading the law on clarifying the provisions regarding the competitive selection of candidates for the positions of judges of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine (CCU), according to MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak.
According to the law, within 30 days from the announcement of the start of the competitive selection, the Verkhovna Rada will accept documents from individuals applying to participate in the section for the position of a judge of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine.
Based on the submitted documents, the relevant committee of the Council decides on the admission or non-admission of candidates to the competitive selection.
The law also establishes the principles of formation and powers of the Advisory Group of Experts. It should consist of three representatives from international partners, with one member being a representative of the Venice Commission and three representatives being Ukrainian national experts.
The Advisory Group of Experts will conduct checks on the integrity and professional qualities of the candidates. Then all six experts will vote for each candidate according to the relevant rating.
In case of an equal number of votes "for" and "against," repeated voting will be held. During the repeated voting, the voices of three members of the Advisory Group of Experts, of which at least two are proposed by international organizations or the European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission), will be decisive.
Adopting the law is a crucial Eurointegration initiative to fulfill one of the recommendations of the European Commission for Ukraine's membership in the bloc.
Earlier, the Venice Commission expressed regret that its recommendation to include a seventh member in the Advisory Group of Experts composition was not implemented. However, it welcomed significant improvements proposed in response to its key requests.
Ukraine's accession to the EU
Last year, Ukraine was granted candidate status for EU accession. Now the country needs to fulfill a series of conditions to become a full-fledged member of the bloc.
In June, the EU presented an intermediate oral report on Ukraine's progress in implementing these recommendations. A written notice is expected in the autumn.
The EU commissioner noted that Ukraine had made good progress in reforming the selection process for the Constitutional Court. At the same time, the EU expects the final adoption of the relevant bill by the recommendations of the Venice Commission.
