As thousands of people around Ukraine protested the controversial sentencing of activist Serhiy Sternenko and demanded judicial reform, President Volodymyr Zelensky again promised to transform the judiciary and move the Ukrainian courtroom into a smartphone.
In his opening remarks during the “Ukraine 30. Development of Justice” forum on Mar. 1, Zelensky acknowledged that judicial reform is an issue that successive Ukrainian governments have failed to address for decades.
“Successful judicial reform is a catalyst for Ukraine’s integration into the European Union and NATO,” Zelensky said. “Providing citizens with the right to a fair and independent court is a basic principle of any democratic country”.
A shortage of qualified judges and lack of transparency are two main issues of the current judiciary, the president said. The small number of judges overloads the judicial system and lowers citizens’ access to due process.
“Citizens have to wait months, if not years, for the court to consider their case,” said Zelensky.
Legal experts say that it is not the number but the quality of judges that matters when reforming the judiciary.
“It is a pity that the president still does not understand that the problem is not in the absence of judges, but in the absence of justice,” lawyer and anti-corruption activist Halyna Chyzhyk wrote on Facebook.
“Even a million new judges elected by the villains from the High Qualification Commission of Justice and the High Council of Justice, will not change the situation.”
The High Qualification Commission of Justice is an independent constitutional body that nominates judicial candidates. The High Council of Justice is another body that ensures the courts are independent and transparent and oversees the appointment and dismissal of judges.
Lawyers and activists have accused both institutions of corruption and abuse of power.
During his speech, Zelensky acknowledged that both councils need a lot of work.
“The work of these two bodies needs substantial improvement,” he said.
“We can have the best anti-corruption infrastructure in the world, but it doesn’t matter if corrupt officials can get away from fair punishments in courts. At the legislative level, we can create the best conditions for investment, but this won’t work if the investor can’t protect their investments in a Ukrainian court,” Zelensky added.
“It’s about trust, about a sense of security and justice – things that, unfortunately, were or continue to be in deficit for Ukrainians.”
To enhance transparency and expedite the judicial process, the president also announced that the government is working to move all legal bureaucratic procedures online.
“Analogous to state services, already offered online, we will create a court in a smartphone,” he said during his opening remarks. Zelensky didn’t specify which services the platform would offer.
In Feb. 2020, Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation launched Diia, an app through which Ukrainians can access their passport, birth certificate and other legal documents.
Diia can now be used to electronically register for a COVID-19 vaccine waiting list.
