Politics

Judges of the Supreme Court of Ukraine during a session in Kyiv, Ukraine, on May 16, 2023.
Politics

Ukraine hits another roadblock in its fight to reform the courts

by Oleg Sukhov

Ukraine has tried, repeatedly, to clean up its courts — each attempt, however, has run into the same roadblocks. A handful of controversial judges have been dismissed, and some changes have been enacted. But beneath the surface, a powerful clique is digging in its heels, making sure attempts at changing the system are stalled. The latest reform cycle began in 2022, when the judiciary's two highest bodies — the High Council of Justice and the High Qualification Commission — were re-launched. O

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Tired, scared, or deliberately obstructive: Why Ukrainian lawmakers refuse to vote for reforms

As Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada enters its seventh year without a general election, a troubling narrative has taken hold in Kyiv's political circles that parliament is broken, paralyzed, and incapable of delivering the reforms Ukraine's international partners require. MPs and governmental officials are giving two explanations for this supposed dysfunction: personal exhaustion and fear of anti-corruption investigations. Neither holds up to scrutiny. The crisis may be real, but it originates not in

President Volodymyr Zelensky arrives to speak to parliamentarians at the Verkhovna Rada in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Oct. 16, 2024.
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