The judges of the High Anti-Corruption Court have appealed to the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, urging him to provide the court with appropriate premises for the administration of justice in accordance with the country’s European integration commitments.
This is reported by Kyiv24
The Premises Issue Has Persisted for Over Six Years
According to VAKS, the decision to appeal to the president was made during a judges’ meeting on March 25. The judges reminded that since the establishment of the institution over six years ago, the court still lacks a permanent and suitable premises for its operations. The relevance of the issue has increased due to the completion of another stage of selecting new judges, who require proper conditions to fulfill their duties.
“Since the beginning of its procedural activities, which has now lasted over six years, the High Anti-Corruption Court has not been provided with adequate premises. The urgency of this problem is growing in light of the completion of another stage of selecting new judges… The arrival of new colleagues to the High Anti-Corruption Court and the Appeals Chamber of VAKS requires the creation of suitable conditions for their work and the administration of justice,” the statement reads.
Judges Pointed to a Specific Building and Await Government Decision
VAKS emphasized that providing the court with the necessary material and technical base is stipulated by Ukraine’s European integration commitments. According to the Roadmap on the Rule of Law, this process was supposed to be completed by the third quarter of 2025; however, the issue remains unresolved.
The judges have independently identified the most suitable facility for the court’s location at the address: Vasyl Lypkivskyi Street, 35 in Kyiv. According to them, this building meets all the basic functional needs of the court, and previous consultations with representatives of the state authorities confirmed the absence of obstacles to its transfer to VAKS. The resolution of this issue currently depends on the adoption of the relevant administrative decision by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. The judges are asking the president to instruct the competent authorities to expedite the transfer of this building to the court and its Appeals Chamber.
Additionally, a new head of the court, Ihor Strohyi, and a deputy head, Dmytro Mykhailenko, were recently elected during the judges’ meeting at VAKS. The High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine has been functioning since September 2019, and the law on its establishment was adopted by the Verkhovna Rada in June 2018.