Supreme Court Judge Kanyhina: 'Polish Scenario' Possible In Ukraine Due To Court's Disbandment

Judge of the Supreme Court of Ukraine (aka 'old' Supreme Court) Halyna Kanyhina does not rule out that due to the disbandment of the 'old' Supreme Court, Ukraine might face the situation that once happened in the Republic of Poland where the European Union launched a remedial procedure in view of a disputable results of the judicial reform implemented there, in particular, the reform touching the Supreme Court.

Ukrainian News agency learnt this from a comment by the judge.

"I believe that's possible. However, (the Supreme Court reform) was conducted under the aegis of Europe, which was actually disoriented by presenting the court [after the reform] as a renewed body, but not as an absolutely different one," the judge said.

She noted that the 'old' Supreme Court judges were being humiliated and made take part in new tenders.

Besides, Kanyhina doubts that the European Union is aware of the entire situation involving the disbandment of the Supreme Court of Ukraine.

She notes that to solve the issue, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has to simply amend the provisions of the law, exclude the 'Supreme Court's disbandment' term, and let its judges exercise justice.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, the European Union has launched a remedial procedure against Poland for certain disputes within the judicial reform there.

The European Commission considers that Poland's new laws undermine the principle of independence of the judiciary by letting the President to independently extend mandates of Supreme Court judges.

The old Supreme Court’s "acting head” Vasyl Humeniuk said that 12 judges of the Supreme Court of Ukraine (the old Supreme Court) who were not appointed to the new Supreme Court continue to receive a salary of UAH 20,000 per month.

The old Supreme Court considers its abolition as a criminal offense, and it is demanding that the Prosecutor General's Office open criminal proceedings.

The new Supreme Court began operation on December 15, 2017, but 12 judges of the old Supreme Court consider this illegal and deny that the old Supreme Court has been abolished.

The head of the new Supreme Court, Valentyna Danyshevska, has admitted the existence of two identical legal entities, but she emphasizes that only the new Supreme Court administers justice.