The election of the President of the Criminal Cassation Court within the Supreme Court is a necessary and important step to ensure the stable operation of the Cassation Court during martial law

This was stated by Oleksandr Marchuk, who was elected President of the Criminal Cassation Court within the Supreme Court by a meeting of the judges of the Court on 19 June 2023.

Oleksandr Marchuk noted that continuing the effective organisation of the functioning of the Criminal Cassation Court within the Supreme Court, i.e. the administration of justice in cassation and ensuring the uniformity of case law, was the main and constant task of the President of the Criminal Cassation Court within the Supreme Court.

The newly elected head stressed that the work of the Criminal Cassation Court within the Supreme Court was currently one of the most important parts of the Supreme Court's activities. This is due to the fact that today the public attention is focused on the investigation and consideration of war-related criminal proceedings, in particular, war crimes and crimes against the foundations of Ukraine's national security.

According to the Prosecutor General's Office, more than 94,000 crimes of aggression and war crimes and more than 17,000 crimes against the foundations of Ukraine's national security have been registered. In addition, between 24 February 2022 and 14 June 2023, local courts received 1,106 criminal proceedings over criminal offences against peace, human security and international law and order (779 reviewed) and 3,872 criminal proceedings over crimes against the foundations of Ukraine's national security (1,478 reviewed).

According to Oleksandr Marchuk, certain "wartime criminal proceedings" were also reviewed by the Criminal Cassation Court within the Supreme Court, including those involving new elements of crimes that were added to the Criminal Code of Ukraine in March 2022: collaboration (Article 111-1), justification, recognition of legitimacy, denial of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, glorification of its participants (Article 436-2).

"At a difficult time for Ukraine, the criminal justice system demonstrates to both our society and the international community our willingness and ability to make fair decisions and bring perpetrators to justice," said the President of the Criminal Cassation Court.