On January 15, the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine announced the results of the practical task completed by participants in the second competition for 25 vacant HACC judge positions.
Out of 44 candidates who completed the tasks, only 7 applicants for the first instance of the HACC managed to reach the threshold of 112.5 points, and none qualified for the HACC AC. In total, 140 applicants participated in the first test of the competition, meaning only one in twenty candidates successfully completed the entire exam and advanced to the interview stage.
The following participants will take part in the competition:
- Yurii Bodnaruk
- Oleh Kimstachov
- Kateryna Kotelva
- Kyrylo Lehkykh
- Tetiana Lytvynko
- Mykhailo Odariuk
- Olena Chernova
It is already evident that such low exam results will prevent the HQCJ from filling all 25 vacant positions in the Anti-Corruption Court. This will delay the planned workload reduction at the HACC and hinder Ukraine’s progress in meeting its international obligations.
Despite the potentially disappointing nature of these results, the High Anti-Corruption Court must ensure that the vacancies are filled with professional and ethical judges. We now look forward to the interviews with the candidates.
“HACC judges are, first and foremost, a response to Ukrainian society’s demand for scrupulous, professional, and impeccable individuals to handle high-profile corruption cases. Also, this is a crucial step on our path toward European integration. Therefore, as planned, the PCIE should conduct interviews with candidates who successfully passed the qualification test. Meanwhile, the HQCJ should already be preparing a new competition to properly fill positions at the HACC AC and any unfilled vacancies in the first instance,” explains Kateryna Ryzhenko, Deputy Executive Director for Legal Affairs at Transparency International Ukraine.
Thus, the logical continuation of this competition is the only correct decision. The experience gained from this process will serve as a solid foundation for addressing shortcomings in future vacancy fillings.
Screening out candidates is a natural part of any selection process, though challenges are not always avoidable. Only 5% of participants in the qualification exam procedure advanced to the next stage of assessment — dossier review and interviews. The remaining 95% of them failed to pass the required tests and practical tasks:
- 12.1% (17 out of 140) of participants were eliminated based on the results of the legal knowledge test;
- 64.2% (79 out of 123) were eliminated based on the results of IQ testing;
- 84% (37 out of 44) were eliminated based on the results of the practical task.
It is worth noting that candidates were tested for cognitive abilities under the old rules, whereas the requirements for participants may change in the new competition. The practical task is unique as it serves as the key profile assessment for candidates throughout the competition. It was evaluated by the Examination Board of HQCJ members and other authorized individuals in accordance with established guidelines.
We hope that before the next competition, the HQCJ will address the shortcomings and thoroughly analyze the current selection process to conduct future procedures more efficiently and effectively.
HACC judges are, first and foremost, a response to Ukrainian society's demand. herefore, as planned, the PCIE should conduct interviews with candidates who successfully passed the qualification test. Meanwhile, the HQCJ should already be preparing a new competition to properly fill positions at the HACC AC and any unfilled vacancies in the first instance.
Kateryna Ryzhenko
