EU endorses independent anti-corruption court in Ukraine

The EU is requiring the Ukrainian government to create
an independent anti-corruption court after the Venice Commission’s endorsement
released on Friday, the eurointegration.com.ua news site reported on Oct. 10,
citing a written from the EU Delegation to Ukraine. The conclusion of the
Venice Commission, or the European Commission for Democracy through Law, is
very important in the context of Ukraine’s modernization and includes helpful
details of European standards for creating specialized anti-corruption judicial
bodies. The EU Delegation to Ukraine is ready to assist in the creation of this
court, and the transparent selection of judges, which would adhere to the
standards of the Council of Europe, its statement said.

New legislation will be introduced in parliament “in
the nearest future” to create an anti-corruption court in Ukraine that will
take into account the Venice Commission’s recommendations, Poroshenko Bloc
Parliamentary Faction Head Artur Herasymov told Ukrainian television on Oct. 9.
The two bills already introduced in parliament to create the court were
rejected by the Venice Commission.

Zenon Zawada: Now there’s no way President Poroshenko can avoid the court’s
creation, which is what he realized last week when endorsing the independent court’s
creation, parallel with his
prior proposal of an anti-corruption chamber within the existing judiciary. All
he can do at this point is to delay its creation, or reduce its authority, such
as with this parallel structure. Yet enough politicians and activists are
involved to blow the whistle on such efforts. We expect legislation to create
the new court will be approved in the coming weeks, enabling the IMF tranche to
arrive by the year end.