Series of OSCE-supported public expert discussions on establishing the High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine concludes

The last of three public expert discussions on the establishment and functioning of the High Anti-Corruption Court was held in Odesa, Ukraine on 30 May 2017, where experts and representatives of the civil society and the media voiced their opinions on how to create a Court that is efficient, transparent, fair and meets the principles enshrined in the country’s constitution.

The discussion in Odesa, as with the previous meetings held in Lviv on 27 April and in Kharkiv on 24 May were organized by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine and the USAID New Justice Programme.

“It is important to ensure a transparent and inclusive process for the preparation of the draft law on the establishment of the Anti-Corruption Court,” said Oleksandr Vodyannikov, National Legal Advisor of the OSCE Project Co-ordinator. “Since January 2017 an informal working group consisting of leading international organizations, donors and diplomatic institutions, supported by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine, have prepared a joint vision of the modalities for establishing an Anti-Corruption Court in Ukraine.”

The three public expert discussions saw participants analyse possible models for the Court’s operation, potential constitutional risks and ways to co-ordinate its functions with other parts of the judiciary in the context of ongoing judicial reform.

“I am sure that the prepared recommendations will help Ukraine reach consensus on the establishment and the model of organization of the High Anti-Corruption Court,” said David Vaughn, Chief of Party of the USAID New Justice Programme.