Ukraine Launches Special Anti-Corruption Court
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko announced on April 11 the launch of a special anti-corruption court to handle corruption cases as part of Ukraine’s $3.9 billion loan program with the IMF.
The objective of the court is to weed out mounting corruption from the country and insulate the court decisions from political interference and bribery.
While it took seven months to select the judges, 38 new judges will perform their duties in the new court. The judges have been given sufficient resources and independence from the legislative and executive branches of the government as well as the President to act without any encumbrance.
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“The Supreme Anti-Corruption Court should become a true pillar of the state in the fight against corruption,” said Poroshenko who took part in the ceremony of the appointment of judges of the court.
“I understand that on this difficult path of combating corruption, each of you has made a choice in favor of the Ukrainian state, putting personal security in second place. And I am very grateful to you for this difficult choice,” the President appealed to the newly elected judges.
According to him, due to the changes in the relevant legislation, European standards of legal proceedings are working in Ukraine. “We are improving the criminal process, using the best world practices, first of all, the practice of the European Court of Human Rights,” the President said.
He urged the judges to write a new history and build a new system guided by European standards and values. “I emphasize that with the creation of the anti-corruption court, we are completing the creation of an independent anti-corruption infrastructure,” the President said.
