The Council on Judicial Reform chaired by President Petro Poroshenko has discussed draft amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine regarding the judicial reform and new draft law "On Judiciary and Status of Judges".
The President emphasized that the given document was a great result of common work elaborated by people’s deputies, experts, lawyers, judges and public activists. This document will help make the first, extremely important steps on the restoration of trust in judicial power. It will help build an independent judicial system, conduct a fundamental reform and restore justice.
The Head of State noted that the document provided for the formation of a three-branch judicial system and creation of the Supreme Court of Ukraine, in which honest judges, lawyers and scientists can take part through a fair competition.
“We are depoliticizing the judiciary. The Parliament will have no influence on the appointment of judges. The President will be deprived of this right as well. He will only have ceremonial functions,” the President explained.
Petro Poroshenko called these constitutional amendments a revolutionary reform long-awaited by Ukrainians and endorsed by the world community.
The President noted that despite the fact that the judicial reform was a component of cooperation with the IMF and the EU, our country must first of all be guided by national interests in its implementation. “We must do this despite its presence or absence in the IMF requirements or visa-free regime preconditions. We are doing this not for Europeans, visa-free regime, IMF or loans. We are doing this for Ukraine. I am glad that we have the same view on it,” Petro Poroshenko noted.
According to the President, the draft law on judiciary and status of judges provides for the increase of wages of judges as well. “It is an important component of this reform,” the Head of State stressed.
The President emphasized that he would make every effort to adopt those constitutional amendments. “Constitutional amendments are not an issue of the coalitions. It is the issue of the entire Parliament and the Ukrainian people,” he said.
The President suggests that the judicial reform is adopted in June.
“We must be confident that the Verkhovna Rada will have enough wisdom, power, persistence and unity for the historic constitutional decision on the constitutional amendments on judiciary to be adopted,” the President said adding that it was necessary to ensure the adoption of legislative acts accompanying those changes to the Constitution.
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