Ukraine - December 2022
Controversial judicial appointments bill signed into law
Ukrainian activists decried the passage of a law on the procedure of selecting judges for the Constitutional Court of Ukraine (CCU) on 20 December, saying it failed to provide for an independent court and put Ukraine’s European Union aspirations at risk. The bill, while ostensibly intended to provide for a politically independent CCU, instead left nomination powers in the office of the president and in the Verkhovna Rada, where President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s Servant of the People party holds an outright majority. Judicial reform activists had asked President Zelenskiy to veto the law, and the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission issued a critical opinion recommending several changes the day before the bill was signed into law.
Note: Russia’s war on Ukraine directly implicates the Russian government in nearly all aspects of Ukrainian life and the performance of its political and democratic institutions. Any decline in Ukraine’s democratic attributes associated with the reported events does not necessarily, and in many cases, in no way indicates responsibility of the Ukrainian government or its people.
Sources: Kyiv Independent, Transparency International - Ukraine, European Pravda
Rule of Law
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Ukraine’s ‘most notorious court’ dissolved
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy signed a law liquidating the Kyiv District Administrative Court on 13 December, which, despite its unassuming name, had long been the focus of national corruption and political scandals. The head of court, Pavlo Vovk, had been charged with numerous crimes in recent years related to the abuse of his authority, obstruction of justice, and taking bribes, but had repeatedly escaped prosecution. Vovk and two of his family members were also sanctioned by the US State Department for “soliciting bribes in return for interfering in judicial and other public processes.”
Note: Russia’s war on Ukraine directly implicates the Russian government in nearly all aspects of Ukrainian life and the performance of its political and democratic institutions. Any decline in Ukraine’s democratic attributes associated with the reported events does not necessarily, and in many cases, in no way indicates responsibility of the Ukrainian government or its people.
Sources: Kyiv Independent, PONARS Eurasia, US Department of State
Rule of Law
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New media law criticized
On 30 December President Volodymyr Zelenskiy signed a new media law, which domestic and international journalist organizations criticized for undermining press freedom in the country. Critics faulted the scope of the powers granted to the media regulator under the new law, the regulator’s lack of independence from the executive, and the speed and non-transparent nature of the drafting process.
Note: Russia’s war on Ukraine directly implicates the Russian government in nearly all aspects of Ukrainian life and the performance of its political and democratic institutions. Any decline in Ukraine’s democratic attributes associated with the reported events does not necessarily, and in many cases, in no way indicates responsibility of the Ukrainian government or its people.
Rights
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