The presidential law on amending certain laws of Ukraine on judiciary entered into force on November 7.
The document law was published in the parliamentary newspaper Holos Ukrainy on November 6.
The law shall become effective the next day after its publication.
The law establishes that the Supreme Court shall consist of no more than 100 judges (earlier, it was "no more than 200").
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It determines the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine (HQCJ) as a permanent state collegial body of judicial administration, consisting of 12 members (previously 16), who shall be appointed by the High Council of Justice following a competition for a period of four years.
Applicants for positions in the Commission shall be citizens of Ukraine in command of the official language, with a degree in law and at least 15 years of professional experience in the field. Also, they must meet the criterion of political neutrality.
It is the High Council of Justice that forms a competition commission, which includes three members elected by the Council of Judges of Ukraine from among its members, and another three members from among international experts proposed by international organizations with which Ukraine cooperates in the field of preventing and combating corruption as part of the Public Council of International Experts.
The law introduces a new ground for the dismissal of HQCJ members, namely gross or systematic neglect of duties that is incompatible with their status, inconsistency with their position, other behaviors that undermine the credibility and public trust in justice and the judiciary, including non-compliance with the ethics of judges.
The decision on the dismissal of a member of the Commission is made by the High Council of Justice at its meeting by a majority of votes from its composition. The decision to dismiss a member of the High Council of Justice shall be considered adopted if the motion is not rejected at the HQJC's joint meeting with the Integrity and Ethics Commission, by a majority vote, provided that it is backed by at least two international experts, namely members of the Integrity and Ethics Commission.
It is also established the basic salary of a judge of the Supreme Court shall amount to 55 (previously 75) minimum wages for able-bodied persons, set as of January 1 of the corresponding calendar year.
