Supreme Court Head Onopenko survives no-confidence vote

Vasyl Onopenko, chief justice of Ukraine’s Supreme Court, survived a no-confidence vote on Friday, after only 17 of 46 judges that cast ballots supported the motion, according to an announcement made by the Supreme Court; a simple majority was needed to pass the measure. Ukraine’s Supreme Court is the highest judicial body in the system of courts of general jurisdiction. Brad Wells: Onopenko is widely regarded as the last top government official not allied with President Viktor Yanukovych. In an interview last month with Kyiv Post, Onopenko criticized Ukraine’s lack of an independent judicial system. In July 2010, Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, voted to limit the Supreme Court’s authority – a move that was criticized by the Venice Commission. While Friday’s vote is a positive signal, there has been precious little movement by the Ukrainian government to truly transform the country’s woeful judicial system; corruption in the courts and respect for the rule of law continue to be concerns.