The Verkhovna Rada approved the draft law on the procedure for verifying the integrity declarations of judges
The Verkhovna Rada approved in the first reading draft law No. 13165-2, which proposes a new approach to checking the integrity of judges. About this reported People’s Deputy Iryna Gerashchenko.
248 people’s deputies voted for the document. The second reading is ahead.
As the authors of the draft law explained, its purpose is to strengthen the accountability of judges and improve declaration and verification procedures. It is envisaged that the two declarations (of integrity and family ties) will be combined into one, which judges will submit annually by May 1.
The inspection can be initiated by the VKKS itself or respond to an appeal. The analysis will cover only the last reporting period. The judges will report the start, continuation and results of the inspection – they will have the opportunity to provide their own explanations and comments. The commission will also be able to independently determine which declarations should pay special attention.
In the event of an appeal against the decision of the Supreme Court of Appeals against the results of the inspection, it will not be made public and will not be included in the judge’s file until the conclusion of the court proceedings. Mistakes or inaccuracies in the declaration will not be considered grounds for automatic dismissal during disciplinary proceedings.
“Our task is to find a balance between accountability and independence of the judiciary, without turning the declaration into a tool of pressure. In preparation for the second reading, we will continue to carefully discuss the content of this declaration and the limits of its verification. Because there is no point in duplicating already existing anti-corruption inspections.” — stressed the chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Legal Policy, Denys Maslov.
