On June 05, 2026, as part of a three-day orientation session organised with the support of the European Union Project “Pravo-Justice” and the “ Strengthening Ukraine’s EU Alignment in the Rule of Law” Project (3*E4U) implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), a working meeting was held between members of the Commission and the Expert Council.
The Council members familiarised themselves with the legal framework and procedural aspects of the candidate checking process.
On the third day of the session, all members of the Expert Council visited the Commission to discuss a number of important issues.
The High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine was represented by its Chairman, Andrii Pasichnyk; Commission members Ruslan Sydorovych, Liudmyla Volkova, Oleksii Omelian, Mykhailo Bohonis and Volodymyr Luhanskyi; as well as representatives of the HQCJU Secretariat, namely Taras Neshyk, Deputy Head of the Secretariat; Oleh Rybchuk, Director of the Department of Judicial Career; and Yuliia Reminska, Head of the International Cooperation Division.
Representatives of the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine and the Expert Council discussed key organisational aspects of the assessment of candidates for the positions of judges at the Specialised Circuit Administrative Court and the Specialised Administrative Court of Appeal. In particular, the discussion focused on planning the subsequent stages of the assessment procedure, coordinating the collection and processing of information concerning candidates, ensuring information exchange between the HQCJ of Ukraine and the Expert Council, and preparing for joint sessions and interviews with candidates.
The participants also discussed certain organisational and technical issues relating to the functioning of the Expert Council and its Secretariat with a view to ensuring the efficient and timely conduct of candidate assessment procedures.
With the support of the aforementioned international technical assistance projects, the Commission hosted the first official session of the Expert Council.
At that session, Yevhen Synelnykov, a judge of the Civil Cassation Court within the Supreme Court, was elected Chairman of the Expert Council, while Jessica Lott Thompson, a legal expert from Canada, was elected Deputy Chairman. The Rules of Procedure of the Expert Council were also approved.
A recording of the Expert Council session is available on the official YouTube channel of the Sudova Vlada Ukrainy at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTsa-NAFoM8
Please be reminded that the Expert Council has been established and operates to assist the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine in determining whether candidates for the positions of judges at the Specialised Circuit Administrative Court and the Specialised Administrative Court of Appeal establish the criteria of integrity and professional competence for the purposes of qualification assessment.
By the Commission’s Decision No. 167/zp-25 of 15.09.2025, the Commission appointed the following members to the Expert Council:
- Olena Hanechko;
- Yevhen Synelnykov;
- Valeriia Chorna;
- Robert Hein Broekhuijsen;
- Jessica Lott Thompson;
- Sigita Rudėnaitė.
Further information about the members of the Expert Council is available on the official website of the Commission: https://www.vkksu.gov.ua/en/page/expert-council.
The establishment and commencement of operations of the Specialised Circuit Administrative Court and the Specialised Administrative Court of Appeal constitute one of the key benchmarks set out in the Rule of Law Roadmap and the Ukraine Facility Plan. Fulfilment of this commitment is linked to the provision of substantial financial assistance to Ukraine by the European Union.
In exercising its mandate to form a highly professional judicial corps for the newly established courts and to fulfil tasks arising in the context of Ukraine’s European integration, the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine attaches particular importance to coordinating the relevant procedures with the Expert Council.
