17:53 20.11.2020

Zelensky asks Venice Commission's head for expert aid in solving crisis caused by Constitutional Court's decision on anti-corruption reform

2 min read
Zelensky asks Venice Commission's head for expert aid in solving crisis caused by Constitutional Court's decision on anti-corruption reform

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky appealed to the European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission) regarding its expert examination in clarifying issues of how to avoid causing irreparable harm to anti-corruption reform by the Ukrainian Constitutional Court's decision of October 27.

According to the presidential website, Zelensky held a telephone conversation with President of the Venice Commission Gianni Buquicchio regarding the search for a balanced comprehensive solution to resolve the crisis in Ukraine promptly and efficiently. Buquicchio agreed that resolving the constitutional crisis requires swift action and should be based on the rule of law.

"We need to develop mechanisms that would permanently eliminate the possibility of any influence on the judges of the Constitutional Court and improve the decision-making procedures of judges. It is important to restore public confidence in constitutional justice. This confidence is now completely destroyed. I suggest stepping up work to find a balanced comprehensive solution to resolve the crisis promptly and efficiently," Zelensky said.

The parties also discussed the urgent need to draft bills to restore punishment for submitting inaccurate information in declarations and ensure full operation of the NACP [the National Agency on Corruption Prevention] and NABU [the National Anti-Corruption Bureau]. They also focused on the implementation of a comprehensive judicial reform, including reforming the mechanism for selecting judges, as well as the High Qualification Commission of Judges.

The interlocutors also agreed that the Commission for Legal Reform should receive an expert assessment from the Venice Commission and the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) regarding its work.

AD
AD
AD
AD
AD