Ukrainian anti-corruption judges-to-be candidates undergo rigorous checks for ties with Russia

Judge of the High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine (VAKS) Oleh Koliush has announced that 25 candidates for judges of the VAKS and its Appellate Chamber are undergoing thorough screenings for possible connections with Russia, with their selection planned by the end of the year. Source: Koliush in an interview with Interfax Ukraine Quote: "The discovery of information regarding ties with the aggressor state definitely makes grounds for recognising a judge as unfit for the position and morally compromised, and the candidate will be denied recommendation for the position of judge.

We will certainly assess possible connections [of candidates for VAKS judges] with Russia.

Members of the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine, like every Ukrainian, categorically oppose the presence of such information." Details: He said that 143 applications have been submitted by candidates, of which 89 are for the VAKS as the first instance and 54 are for the VAKS Appeals Chamber. "Early analysis shows that 75 candidates are judges, 44 are lawyers, 13 are academics, and 11 have mixed experience.

These are approximate figures. As for gender distribution, there are 51 female candidates and 92 male candidates," clarified Koliush. He explained that during the competition, candidates will undergo a qualification assessment and complete a practical task related to the court's specialisation.

"Then, candidates who scored enough points undergo a special check. The commission sends documents to several state bodies, which provide us with responses regarding the candidate's life circumstances and compliance with the criteria defined by law," Koliush said. Another stage of the competition is the examination of dossiers and conducting interviews, Koliush clarified.

He emphasised the peculiarity of the competition, which involves the participation of a public council of international experts consisting of six members. Koliush added that the composition of this Council is currently being formed. He also stressed that the competition will be open and transparent, and VAKS will inform the public about the way it is conducted to prevent any accusations of lack of transparency in the Commission's work.

"We plan to have the competition complete by the end of this year.

I hope that objective circumstances will not hinder this, and we will get new judges for the VAKS and the Appeals Chamber of the VAKS," Koliush concluded.

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