Batkivshchyna Party leader Yulia Tymoshenko believes juries can ensure fair justice, and is therefore insisting on the need for a law on juries to be adopted in Ukraine, according to Official website of Yulia Tymoshenko.
"We want to oppose political repression and controlled courts by involving the public in administering justice through jury trials," Yulia Tymoshenko wrote on Twitter today, commenting on the draft law "On jury trial in Ukraine" initiated by people’s deputies Serhiy Vlasenko (BYuT-Batkivshchyna) and Hennadiy Moskal (Our Ukraine – People’s Self-Defense).
The bill was registered in the Verkhovna Rada and defines the legal basis for organizing juries, the status of a jury member, procedures for selection and dismissal, guarantees of their independence and immunity, and other issued related to the work of juries.
The draft law provides that criminal cases tried by juries be held in the High Specialized Court of Ukraine for civil and criminal cases and appeals courts of oblasts, the cities of Kyiv and Sevastopol, and the Appeals Court of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.
I jury member must be a citizen of Ukraine, at least 35 years of age, that has resided on the territory of Ukraine for the past five years, is fluent in the state language, has a job or regular income, except citizens of Ukraine convicted of intentionally committing a crime, recognized by the court as partially sane or insane, suffering from chronic mental or other illnesses, or representatives of the government, officials of legal entities under public law, or civil servants.
As reported, on May 21, Yulia Tymoshenko said that she plans to fight for her right to a jury trial. "Our constitution provides for trial by jury and I will appeal to the judicial system for a jury trial," she said.
