EU insists on separate anticorruption court, will help select judges
The European Union insists on the need to create a separate anticorruption court in Ukraine and is ready to help in selecting judges, according to a letter sent by the EU Delegation to Ukraine in response to the Ukrainian news outlet Europeiska Pravda’s request about the EU’s position on the anti-corruption court after the Venice Commission published its conclusion.
The EU notes that the Venice Commission’s conclusion is very important in the context of further modernization of Ukraine and contains a useful clarification of European standards of the creation of specialized anticorruption judicial bodies.
According to the EU, a high anticorruption court should be created as an institution that is independent and separate from the existing structure of the judiciary.
The EU also welcomed the intention of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to create an anticorruption court that would meet the standards of the Council of Europe. At the same time, the EU expressed its readiness to assist the Ukrainian authorities in creating the high anticorruption court, which would be in line with the Venice Commission’s conclusions.
The EU says that the independence, integrity and professionalism of all judges who will be appointed to the anticorruption court will be crucial for restoring public confidence in the authorities, and the EU is ready to promote transparency in the selection of judges if necessary.