People should be able to receive judicial services remotely instead of going to court - Oleksandr Mamalui

The Supreme Court supports initiatives related to the digitalisation of justice - the implementation of measures aimed at introducing online justice should be accelerated.

This was emphasised by the Vice President of the Supreme Court, Oleksandr Mamalui, during the presentation of the monitoring report prepared by the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine based on the results of the 2023 regular monitoring of the implementation and analysis of the effectiveness of adopted legislative acts. For the sixth year running, the Ministry of Justice has analysed the quality and effectiveness of legislation.

According to Oleksandr Mamalui, such reports are really necessary and useful as they contribute to the harmonisation of legislation.

"Ideally, in certain categories of cases, people should be able to receive judicial services remotely, rather than having to go to court. The electronic office in the Unified Judiciary Information and Telecommunication System is the future," said Oleksandr Mamalui.

The Vice President of the Supreme Court also informed that the Supreme Court managed to save more than 1 million UAH in postal services alone as a result of the legislative changes on digitalisation that came into force last autumn.

In addition, Oleksandr Mamalui joined the discussion on the problems of the judiciary in relation to the issue of disciplinary liability of judges.

In particular, the report states that there is a need to further improve the procedures for disciplinary proceedings against judges, including the issue of clear grounds for suspending consideration of resignations until all disciplinary complaints against such judges have been concluded.

Oleksandr Mamalui noted that when a judge reaches the age limit for holding office, he or she can no longer receive a judicial remuneration. However, he will not receive life support either until all disciplinary complaints against him are reviewed, which could take years if there are a large number of complaints. Therefore, this issue should be regulated at the legislative level by prioritizing the consideration of such complaints or limiting their number.

The event was also attended by Judges of the Supreme Court of the Administrative Cassation Court Andrii Zhuk and Zhanna Melnyk-Tomenko, Judge of the Supreme Court of the Commercial Cassation Court Yurii Chumak, and Judge of the Supreme Court of the Criminal Cassation Court Viktor Ostapuk.