The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyi, signed the amendments to the law “On the Judiciary and the Status of Judges”, which relate to the qualification exam for candidates for the position of judge. About this reported on the official website of the parliament.
The new rules provide for the abolition of the mandatory test of cognitive abilities (IQ-test) for candidates to appeal courts and the High Anti-Corruption Court (HCC). Instead of a fixed passing score of 75%, the level of difficulty of the test will now be determined by the Higher Qualification Commission of Judges (HCJC).
According to the changes, candidates will be able to choose a specialization (administrative, economic or general jurisdiction) when taking the qualifying exam. Also, testing will no longer include a separate block on the history of Ukrainian statehood, but this topic will be integrated into the general legal part. The practical tasks of the exam will focus on the chosen specialization.
The format, content and program of the exam will be determined by the VKKS and will be published 30 days before the start of the test. The decision to set the passing score also remains with the commission. These changes are aimed at improving the procedure for selecting judges, focusing on the professional competencies and specialization of candidates.
