Venice Commission does not support adopted amendments to bill on inaccurate declaration, law on judiciary, status of judges
The Venice Commission does not support the amendments to the draft law on inaccurate declaration adopted by the Verkhovna Rada, President of the European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission) Gianni Buquicchio has said.
Buquicchio said at the Democracy in Action: Zero Corruption Conference on Tuesday that bill No. 4651 was adopted a few days ago. However, the amended version changed the imprisonment to the restriction of freedom and the property of the relatives of civil servants was excluded from the obligatory declaration and from the responsibility of civil servants. These are negative amendments that the Venice Commission does not support, he said.
He stressed that in this regard, he appreciates the intention of the President of Ukraine to veto this law.
Buquicchio indicated that the Venice Commission recalled that the restoration of the High Qualifications Commission of Judges is urgent.
The opinion (of the Venice Commission) supported the proposal to create a mixed national-international body, a competition commission for the selection of new members of the High Qualifications Commission. The method of creating this competition commission should be close to a successful anti-corruption court model, the President of the Venice Commission said.
According to him, the High Qualifications Commission should not be merged with the High Council of Justice until the latter is reformed and selected.
Unfortunately, law No. 3711 (on the judiciary and the status of judges), adopted at the second reading on April 28, does not meet the recommendations of the Venice Commission, and we do not support it, Buquicchio said.
He said that the High Council of Justice must be vetted before being entrusted with the appointment of the High Qualifications Commission.
This is necessary or judicial reform will be doomed, Buquicchio said.
As reported, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky announced that he intends to veto the law adopted by the Verkhovna Rada on June 3 on the restoration of punishment in the form of imprisonment for inaccurate declaration (bill No. 4651).
