Overview of the results of the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine in March 2026

OVERVIEW OF THE RESULTS  OF THE HIGH QUALIFICATION COMMISSION OF JUDGES OF UKRAINE  March 2026

Procedures of the judicial career

Selection for the position of local court judge

On March 11, 2026, the Commission approved the coded results of the practical assignment completed by 217 candidates in the specialisation of local general court (the fourth stage of the qualification exam): on October 14, 2025 by participants in the second group and on October 15, 2025 by participants in the first group of candidates for the position of local court judge and judges who have expressed an intention to be transferred to another local court.

On March 30, 2026, the coded results of the practical assignment in the specialisation of local general court (the fourth stage of the qualification exam) were approved: on October 16, 2025 by participants in the second group of candidates for the position of local court judge and judges who have expressed an intention to be transferred to another local court.

The verification of 397 practical assignments in the specialisation of local administrative court has been completed.

The verification of 2,916 practical assignments completed as part of the qualification exam for candidates for the position of local court judge and judges who have expressed an intention to be transferred to another local court is ongoing: in the commercial specialisation – 406; in the general specialisation – 2,510.

Competition to the appellate courts

General statistics of the competition to the appellate courts

By specialisations
Stage	Administrative	Commercial	Criminal	Civil	TOTAL
Applied with applications (1 candidate did not choose a specialisation)	191	185	912	787	2076
Admitted to the competition and qualification assessment	173	160	821	687	1841
Successfully passed a test of knowledge in the field of law and in the specialisation of the relevant court	132	134	703	619	1588
Successfully passed the cognitive abilities test	105	98	507	410	1120
Successfully completed practical assignment	67	83	452	255	857
Ranking of candidates has been approved	43	60	113		216
Recognised as winners of the competition and recommended for the appointment	42	55	81		178
Interviews are ongoing	Completed	Completed	415

 

In March, the Commission conducted interviews with 41 candidates for the positions of judges at the general courts of appeal:

- 11 candidates were confirmed the ability to administer justice (for the Kyiv Court of Appeal – 2,  the Lviv Court of Appeal – 3, the Mykolaiv Court of Appeal – 3, for the Odesa Court of Appeal – 2, and for the Kharkiv Court of Appeal – 1);

- interviews with 19 candidates will be held by the plenary session of the Commission (for the Kyiv Court of Appeal – 2, the Lviv Court of Appeal – 2, the Mykolaiv Court of Appeal – 2, the Odesa Court of Appeal – 12, the Kharkiv Court of Appeal – 1).

 

On March 25, 2026, the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine took a decision to include the following courts in the third group of courts at the first stage of the competition for vacant positions of judges in the general courts of appeal:

• Vinnytsia Court of Appeal – 15 vacant positions of judges;
• Volyn Court of Appeal – 11 vacant positions of judges;
• Ivano-Frankivsk Court of Appeal – 11 vacant positions of judges;
• Kropyvnytskyi Court of Appeal – 12 vacant positions of judges;
• Poltava Court of Appeal – 15 vacant positions of judges;
• Rivne Court of Appeal – 12 vacant positions of judges;
• Ternopil Court of Appeal – 17 vacant positions of judges;
• Kherson Court of Appeal – 22 vacant positions of judges;
• Khmelnytskyi Court of Appeal – 12 vacant positions of judges;
• Cherkasy Court of Appeal – 21 vacant positions of judges;
• Chernivtsi Court of Appeal – 7 vacant positions of judges.

The deadline for candidates for the position of judge to submit a declaration of intent to apply for the position of judge (in Ukrainian) in the court included in the third group of courts  at the first stage of the competition has been set as April 07, 2026.

[more] – in Ukrainian

 

Competition to the High Anti-Corruption Court

On March 20, 2026, the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine  held a special joint session with the Public Council of International Experts, at which the results of consideration of the issue of suitability of candidates for the positions of judges of the High Anti-Corruption Court with the criteria provided for in part four of Article 8 of the Law of Ukraine “On the High Anti-Corruption Court” within the framework of the competition for vacant positions of judges in this court announced by the Commission’s decision of June 03, 2025 were announced.

Following the results of a joint vote by members of the HQCJ and the PCIE, 22 candidates for the position of judge, who confirmed their compliance with the criteria set out in the law, were allowed to continue participating in the competition for the positions of judges of the High Anti-Corruption Court.

[more] – in Ukrainian

 

 

 

Competition to Specialised Circuit Administrative Court and Specialised Administrative Court of Appeal

On March 23, 2026, the Commission appointed the first (test on knowledge of the history of Ukrainian statehood) and second (test of cognitive abilities) stages of qualification exams within the framework of competitions announced by the Commission on October 29, 2025, determined the schedules for their passing.

The test on knowledge of the history of Ukrainian statehood will take place on April 07, 2026, the test of cognitive abilities - on April 14, 2026.

The lists of questions for the anonymous tests on general knowledge in the field of law and on the specialisation of the relevant court for the qualification exams of candidates for the positions of judges of the Specialised Circuit Administrative Court and the Specialised Administrative Court of Appeal have been published on the official website of the Commission.

[more]

 

Secondments

12 notifications from the State Judicial Administration of Ukraine on secondments were received.

The Commission considered the issues of secondments of judges:

• To 11 courts due to excessive judicial workload;
• From 2 courts due to changes in the territorial jurisdiction of court cases.

It was recommended that judges be seconded to the following courts:

• Odesa Court of Appeal (1 judge);
• Shakhtarsk City Court of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast (1 judge).

 

Qualification assessment

 for suitability of a judge for his/her position held and in connection with the imposition of a disciplinary sanction

On March 04, 2026, the Commission took a decision to initiate a qualification assessment in connection with the imposition of a disciplinary sanction to confirm the ability to administer justice:

• Nataliіa Tserkovna, a judge of the Commercial Court of Rivne Oblast;
• Ivan Olenchuk, a judge of the Novoselytsia District Court of Chernivtsi Oblast;
• Iryna Blazhko, a judge of the Shevchenkivskyi District Court of Poltava City.

1 judge interviewed:

• Serhii Stupak, a judge of the Metalurhiіnyi District Court of Kryvyi Rih City, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast – is not suitable for the position held.

The assessment of 1 judge was terminated due to dismissal from the position of judge:

• Ihor Ratushnіak, a judge of the Tyvriv District Court of Vinnytsia Oblast.

 

Important decisions of the Commission

On March 30, 2026 the Commission approved the Procedure for conducting a special vetting of candidates for the position of judge and the Procedure for obtaining information regarding a judge (candidate for the position of judge) and members of his/her family or close persons by searching and collecting data (information) in automated information and reference systems, registers and databases, the holders (administrators) of which are public authorities, other public authorities and local government bodies.

 

Data on the accounting of judges’ positions

The following data are included in the accounts:

on the establishment of 18 new vacant positions of judges:

in local courts - 17:

• local general courts – 14 (resignation [9]; termination of powers [1]; appointed to the position of judge in the court of appeal [4]);
• local commercial courts – 2 (resignation [1], own will [1]);
• local administrative courts – 1 (resignation [1]);

in the courts of appeal – 1:

• commercial courts of appeal (resignation [1]);

 

on the filling of 5 vacant positions:

in the general courts of appeal – 5

[more] – in Ukrainian

 

Sessions

47 sessions were held, of which:

• in plenary composition – 8;
• special joint session of the Commission and the PCIE – 11;
• in chamber composition – 4;
• in Panel composition – 24.

[more] – in Ukrainian

 

170 decisions of the Commission were adopted, of which:

• on selection and appointment of judges – 1;
• on transfer (secondment) of judges – 11;
• on qualification assessment of judges – 3;
• on conduction of selection for filling judicial positions in the high specialised courts – 86;
• on conduction of selection for filling judicial positions in the courts of appeal – 52;
• on general issues – 17.

[more] – in Ukrainian

 

 

Participation in the events

March 03, 2026 – a coordination meeting with representatives of the Directorate-General for Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood of the European Commission (DG ENEST) to discuss the state of implementation of the Rule of Law Roadmap measures.

March 10–11, 2026 – the tenth meeting of the Subcommittee “Justice, Freedom and Security” of the EU–Ukraine Association Committee, organised by the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine.

March 12, 2026 – an online discussion organised by the Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs of the European Commission (DG ECFIN) regarding the conduct of an ex-post evaluation of macro-financial assistance operations to Ukraine for 2022–2023, with experts from ICF.

March 16, 2026 – the ninth meeting of the EU–Ukraine Association Committee, organised by the Government Office for Coordination of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of the Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.

March 17, 2026 – an online meeting organised by the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine to discuss a measure of the Rule of  Law Roadmap concerning the selection of the selection commission for the appointment of members of the HQCJ.

March 18, 2026 – an online meeting chaired by Taras Kachka, a Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, on the state of implementation of the Ukraine Facility Plan indicators.

March 20–23, 2026 – thematic workshops on the role, importance and procedure for implementing interim benchmarks in the EU accession negotiation process, organised by the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine with the support of the EU Project “Pravo-Justice III”.

March 30–31, 2026 – the second annual intergovernmental conference within the framework of the Ukraine–Netherlands dialogue on supporting Ukraine’s integration into the European Union, held in Breda, the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

 

Litigation

The Commission’s interests were represented in 66 hearings of the Supreme Court.

The Administrative Court of Cassation within the Supreme Court ruled in favour of the Commission as follows:

1. Cases No. 990/220/25 – claim filed by L.A. Shtyfurko; No. 990/164/25 – claim filed by O.V. Yefimenko; No. 990/287/25 – claim filed by O.I. Denkovych; No. 990/256/25 – claim filed by I.O. Kostiashkin seeking to declare the decisions unlawful and annul them, and to compel certain actions (competition to the courts of appeal: approval of practical assignment results).
2. Cases No. 990/385/25 – claim filed by Y.P. Yakymenko; No. 990/591/25 – claim filed by Y.F. Haidai; No. 990/451/25 – claim filed by S.M. Lukianchuk; No. 990/380/25 – claim filed by M.V. Shelest seeking to declare the decisions unlawful and annul them, and to compel certain actions (competition to the courts of appeal: interview).
3. Case No. 990/433/25 – claim filed by K.V. Tkachenko seeking to declare the decision unlawful and annul it, and to compel certain actions (competition to the courts of appeal: approval of ranking).
4. Cases No. 990/391/24 – claim filed by O.M. Lutsenko; No. 990/233/25 – claim filed by O.P. Opalynska seeking to declare the decisions unlawful and annul them, and to compel certain actions (qualification assessment for suitability for the position held).
5. Cases No. 990/488/25 – claim filed by Y.V. Dmytrenko; No. 990/501/25 – claim filed by Y.S. Kitsula; No. 990/524/25 – claim filed by T.F. Korotenko; No. 990/484/25 – claim filed by O.V. Shpyruk; No. 990/461/25 – claim filed by A.V. Sahaidak; No. 990/486/25 – claim filed by Z.B. Nykerui; No. 990/523/25 – claim filed by D.O. Baltak; No. 990/500/25 – claim filed by D.V. Skubenych seeking to declare the decisions unlawful and to compel certain actions (selection procedure: qualification exam).

 

By rulings of the Grand Chamber of the Supreme Court:

• in Case No. 990/261/25 – claim filed by Zh.V. Hrushko, the claimant’s appeal against the judgment of the Administrative Cassation Court of the Supreme Court dated 17.11.2025 (whereby the claim was dismissed) was dismissed (competition to the courts of appeal: interview);
• in Case No. 990/329/25 – claim filed by O.I. Kyrylchuk, the Commission’s appeal against the judgment of the Administrative Cassation Court of the Supreme Court dated 17.11.2025 was upheld, the judgment of the court of first instance was set aside, and a new judgment was adopted dismissing the claim of O.I. Kyrylchuk (competition to the courts of appeal: interview);
• in Case No. 990/218/25 – claim filed by O.M. Kaluzhna, the Commission’s appeal against the judgment of the Administrative Cassation Court of the Supreme Court dated 18.09.2025 was upheld, the judgment of the court of first instance was set aside, and a new judgment was adopted dismissing the claim of O.M. Kaluzhna (competition to the courts of appeal: approval of practical assignment results);
• in Case No. 990/464/25 – claim filed by V.V. Kulakivskyi, the claimant’s appeal against the judgment of the Administrative Cassation Court of the Supreme Court dated 17.12.2025 (whereby the claim was dismissed) was dismissed (selection procedure: qualification exam, test of cognitive abilities).

 

Document flow

 Documents were processed:

• 1 802 – incoming documents;
• 869 – outgoing documents.

869 inquiries and appeals were reviewed:

• 18 lawyer’s requests;
• 76 requests for information;
• 117 appeals;
• 658 other inquiries.

 

Assistance in the implementation of judicial career procedures will be gladly provided, and proposals for improving Commission’s work will be considered!

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