President Volodymyr Zelensky has signed a decree on the strategy for the development of the justice system and constitutional justice for 2021-2023.
The strategy defines the basic principles and directions of the development of the justice system, taking into account the best international practices, the press service of the President's Office has said.
The document outlines priorities for improving legislation on the judiciary, the status of judges, court proceedings and other institutions of justice, as well as introducing urgent measures to improve the activities of legal institutions.
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The document also identifies the problems that need to be solved to further improve the functioning of the judiciary and the administration of justice.
One of the directions of the strategy is to improve access to justice. It is planned to conduct an audit of the local court system in order to identify problems and deficiencies in its functioning. Also, the document aims to strengthen the functional and procedural efficiency of the Supreme Court.
In addition, the necessary resources should be provided to effectively organize the work of the High Anti-Corruption Court. In particular, these are permanent premises that meet construction requirements and safety standards.
Strategy for the development of the justice system: Other provisions
In particular, the strategy provides for the improvement of the methodology for determining the rates of court fees for certain categories of cases to facilitate access to justice.
It is planned to establish for certain categories of cases a mandatory pretrial procedure for resolving disputes using mediation and other practices, as well as working out the issue of introducing the institute of a magistrate.
One of the objectives of the strategy is to strengthen the independence of the judiciary and its accountability to society. In particular, the formation of the High Qualification Commission of Judges and the High Council of Justice will take place based on the results of an open competition held with the participation of international experts.
The document also foresees the development of agencies and the improvement of the institution of defense attorneys.
In addition, the strategy envisages the improvement of mechanisms for checking the integrity of judges of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine and their compliance with the standards of professional ethics. It is proposed to change the procedures for the competitive selection of candidates for the position of a Constitutional Court judge, their verification for integrity and compliance with the level of professional competence, with the possible involvement of international experts. The introduction of measures to protect Constitutional Court judges from political and other pressure when making decisions and conclusions is envisaged.
According to the decree, the commission on legal reform, together with representatives of central and local authorities, the public and experts, should develop an action plan for the implementation of the strategy for the development of the justice system and constitutional justice for 2021-2023.
Also, the legal reform commission will inform the president about the status of implementation of the provisions of this strategy.
