Poroshenko: Judicial reform should be held as soon as possible
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko insists on the need to pass the final amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine in the area of justice as soon as possible, as well as to pass other legislative initiatives necessary to reform the judicial system.
"I stress that over the next days or weeks... we need to get 300 votes for holding the judicial reform and adopt a new version of the law on the judicial procedure that will help renew the judicial system significantly," the head of state said on Friday during the introduction of new Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko to the PGO's staff.
As reported, in early February, the Verkhovna Rada preliminary approved revised bill No. 3524 on amendments to the Constitution in the field of justice.
On January 22, the Constitutional Court of Ukraine declared a bill on amendments into the Constitution of Ukraine on justice reform the one, which complies with the Articles 157 and 158 of the Fundamental Law.
On January 26, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko submitted the updated version of the bill amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine on justice reform to the Verkhovna Rada. According to the updated bill, clause 25 of the Article 85 of the Constitution reinstate a norm under which the Verkhovna Rada is empowered to give is consent to appointment or resignation of the prosecutor general by the head of state, and to express a vote of no confidence in the prosecutor general, which entails his resignation.
On February 1, Ukraine's Constitutional Court has declared that the revised bill on amendments to the Constitution in the field of justice complies with Articles 157 and 158 of the Fundamental Law.
The bill contains provisions about the liquidation of judges' immunity from prosecution, the automatic dismissal of judges who fail to pass re-certification, significantly increases the transparency in the selection of judicial personnel and significantly increases the responsibility of judges for the miscarriage of justice.
On May 6, Verkhovna Rada Chairman Andriy Parubiy said he expected that the parliament would pass amendments dealing with the judicial system to the Constitution of Ukraine by mid-July 2016.