HQCJ considers the special joint meeting on the January 28 to be legitimate. Head of the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine Sergii Koziakov said that in response to the request from Transparency International Ukraine. The CSO asked for an explanation why the last meeting with international experts (PCIE) was appointed after the 30-day validity period.

The head of the HQCJ notes that the Laws of Ukraine ″On the High Anti-Corruption Court″ and ″On Judiciary and the Status of Judges″ do not determine the deadline calculation procedure for the special joint meetings, so the standard calculation procedure must be applied.

According to the Law of Ukraine ″On the High Anti-Corruption Court″, and due to the fact that the last 30th day when the special joint meeting can be held takes place on the weekend, January 26, 2019, the last day of this term should be the first following working day – Monday, January 28.

As a reminder, under article 8, part 5 of the Law of Ukraine ″On the High Anti-Corruption Court″, the special joint meetings can be held not later than on the 30th day since the date of announcement of the written test results, which took place on December 27, 2018.

At the initiative of at least 3 members of the Public Council of International Experts, the issue of a candidate’s consistency with the criteria for the position of a judge in the High Anti-Corruption Court, stated in part 4 of this article, is considered at the special joint meeting of the High Qualification Commission of Judges (HQCJ) and the Public Council of International Experts. The vote of the majority is required to continue participation, including at least 3 international experts, otherwise the candidate stops participation in the competition.

On Monday, review of two candidates’ compliance with integrity criteria to HACC is scheduled: Viacheslav Pikovsyi, judge of Prydniprovskyi District Court and Iryna Smaznova, lecturer of the National University Odesa Law Academy.

The Public Council of International Experts has already blocked 40 candidates for the HACC.