The HCJ dismissed six judges upon retirement
The High Council of Justice decided to dismiss, following resignation applications:
- Halyna Oleksandrivna Balatska — from the position of judge of the Kyiv Court of Appeal;
- Tetiana Viktorivna Shubochkina — from the position of judge of the Sievierodonetsk City Court of Luhansk Region (seconded to the Vyshhorod District Court of Kyiv Region);
- Oleksandr Viktorovych Zinchenko — from the position of judge of the Donetsk окружний administrative court — better fix: Donetsk District Administrative Court;
- Svitlana Mykolaivna Tkachova — from the position of judge of the Kramatorsk City Court of Donetsk Region (seconded to the Boryslav City Court of Lviv Region);
- Yuliia Romanivna Mikush — from the position of judge of the Lviv Court of Appeal;
- Oksana Vasylivna Kutsenko — from the position of judge of the Mykolaiv Court of Appeal.
The HCJ will submit to the President of Ukraine motions for the appointment of seven judges
The HCJ adopted decisions to submit motions to the President of Ukraine for the appointment of six judges to appellate courts and one judge to a local court, namely:
- Yuliia Valeriivna Bokova — to the position of judge of the Northern Commercial Court of Appeal;
- Roman Serhiiovych Kholod — to the position of judge of the Zaporizhzhia Court of Appeal;
- Dmytro Serhiiovych Bredun — to the position of judge of the Zaporizhzhia Court of Appeal;
- Andrii Petrovych Stelmakh — to the position of judge of the Chernihiv Court of Appeal;
- Ivan Ivanovych Kotubei — to the position of judge of the Zakarpattia Court of Appeal;
- Maksym Oleksandrovych Hurenko — to the position of judge of the Chernihiv Court of Appeal;
- Vita Vitaliivna Levchuk — to the position of judge of the Kostopil District Court of Rivne Region.
On 26 March 2026, the High Council of Justice temporarily suspended, until 11 May 2026, a judge of the Kalanchak District Court of Kherson Region (seconded to the Oleksandrivka District Court of Kirovohrad Region) from administering justice in connection with criminal proceedings.
As stated in the motion for suspension, the judge is suspected of receiving an undue benefit by an official holding a responsible position for performing actions in the interests of the person providing such benefit, using the authority granted to them, committed by prior conspiracy by a group of persons, that is, committing a criminal offense provided by Part 3 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
On 24 March 2026, the High Council of Justice adopted a public appeal to the Verkhovna Rada Committees on Legal Policy, Budget, and Law Enforcement concerning the implementation of specific measures of the Rule of Law Roadmap.
The full text of the public appeal, approved by HCJ decision No. 480/0/15-26 of 24 March 2026, is available via the link.
The HCJ received a notification from its member Roman Maselko regarding possible pressure related to the HCJ’s consideration of a submission to the President of Ukraine on the appointment of a candidate to the position of judge of the Commercial Court of Zaporizhzhia Region. Following the review, the HCJ refused to submit such a motion.
Subsequently, bar self-governance bodies initiated disciplinary proceedings against R. Maselko as a lawyer, as a result of which the Disciplinary Chamber of the Qualification and Disciplinary Commission of the Bar of Zakarpattia Region imposed a sanction in the form of a warning.
The HCJ noted that the assessment of actions of an HCJ member in the exercise of constitutional powers falls exclusively within the competence of the HCJ itself. The adoption of a disciplinary decision against an HCJ member as a lawyer, whose legal practice is suspended, creates a threat to the independence of a member of a constitutional body.
More details are available via the link.
Judge of the Kyiv District aministrative Court Nataliia Shevchenko temporarily suspended from administering justice Based on the decision of the First Disciplinary Chamber of the HCJ
The decision to hold the judge disciplinarily liable and to apply a disciplinary sanction in the form of a submission for dismissal from office was adopted by the First Disciplinary Chamber of the HCJ on 30 March 2026.
The President of Ukraine supported HCJ submissions for the appointment of six judges
By Decrees of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy dated 30 March 2026 No. 278/2026–283/2026, six judges were appointed to the Zaporizhzhia, Chernihiv, and Sumy Courts of Appeal, as well as to the Oleksandriia City and District Court of Kirovohrad Region.