Parliament fails to promptly act on the constitutional crisis
During the last week, parliament did not make any effective steps towards solving the constitutional crisis caused by the decision of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine (CCU) of Oct. 27. Members of parliament registered a number of draft laws aimed at restoring e-declaration system and suggesting ways to block the work of the CCU. None of them fully resolves the CCU issue but imitates a solution to pacify the general public.
The CCU announced the draft decision on revoking land reform to be approved on Nov. 9. Four CCU judges who voted against the decision on destroying anticorruption reform stated that they would temporarily stop attending the CCU hearings to disable quorum. This will prevent destroying land reform and other key reforms in the upcoming week or two, but this does not resolve the constitutional crisis.
On Nov. 6, MPs of the 44-member pro-Russian Opposition Platform — Form Life and 24-member Batkivshchina parties attempted to fulfil vacant positions under Parliament’s quota but did not get enough votes. However, on the beginning of December, the Congress of Judges will appoint CCU judge under their quota and will definitely restore the quorum.
On Nov. 7, the activists held protest demanding resignation of the CCU judges. This would be the most way to start the resolution of the crisis, but improbable given the position of the judges.
HACC closes cases on lying in asset declarations
On Nov. 5, following the Constitutional Court’s decision of Oct. 27, the High Anti-Corruption Court closed the case of the infamous mayor of Odessa Gennadiy Trukhanov on lying in asset declarations. The case concerned assets in the amount of Hr 16 million. Last year another case of Trukhanov’s illicit enrichment in the amount of 3 million British pounds was closed based on the relevant Constitutional Court’s decision of 2019.
Gradually, the HACC will close the entire 17 cases on false information in asset declaration on trial by the court. NABU also informed that it is closing 130 ongoing investigations on falsehood in declarations.
Parliament sends judiciary reform law to the repeated second reading
On Nov. 5, parliament sent the presidential draft law No.3711 on judicial reform to the repeated first reading to include the recommendations of the Venice Commission. The draft law is aimed at the relaunch of the High Qualification Commission of Judges. Notably, the Venice Commission stressed the importance of resolving the issue of integrity of the members of the High Council of Justice.
Two years since the death of Kateryna Handziuk
On November 4, we commemorated the death of Kateryna Handziuk, a civil activist from the southern city of Kherson. She was attacked on July 31, 2018, with a liter of sulfuric acid, as a result of which she received almost 40% of body burns. Thanks to the efforts of her friends and colleagues and public attention, the case was investigated and the perpetrators were convicted. We keep demanding a fair trial for all instigators of her murder and justice for Kateryna.
