5th anniversary of the HACC - it is time to state confident formation of the anti-corruption vertical

Corruption is an evil that prevents a democratic state from developing, building a just society, working properly and winning.

Each country chooses its own model and way of fighting corruption. This is what happened in Ukraine. However, the time when the need to create a full vertical anti-corruption infrastructure was debated is long gone. The decision to do so was taken at the political level and has found support in society.

The creation of the High Anti-Corruption Court, the HACC Appeals Chamber, and a specialised court chamber in the Criminal Cassation Court within the Supreme Court completed the formation of a comprehensive system of law enforcement and judicial anti-corruption bodies.

Reforms of this magnitude are always difficult to implement even in simple conditions. Ukraine had a different fate - the active stage of reforms took place during the war.

This was stated by President of the Supreme Court Stanislav Kravchenko during a conference on the occasion of the 5th anniversary of the High Anti-Corruption Court's procedural activities ‘5 Years of the HACC: From Idea to Capacity’.

‘We have a lot to be proud of: the fact that we are coping with current challenges and showing good results. There is no doubt that the High Anti-Corruption Court has succeeded as a judicial institution. It has credibility and respect, sets a good example for other courts and continues to develop effectively,' said the SC President.

Stanislav Kravchenko expressed his gratitude to the Parliament, which promptly responded to critical issues and made the necessary changes to the procedural legislation that helped not only the HACC, but the entire judicial system to effectively organise its work.

In conclusion, the President of the Supreme Court wished his colleagues to go through their judicial career with honour and dignity, to meet the hopes and expectations of the Ukrainian people and to have their work properly assessed by the public.

Oleksandr Marchuk, President of the Criminal Cassation Court within the Supreme Court, emphasised the importance of strengthening anti-corruption institutions, especially in such a difficult time for our country, as corruption is one of the most dangerous negative social phenomena. Its consequences are unpredictable and multifaceted in scope, ranging from economic decline and social tension in society to the impact on the lives of every citizen. Therefore, the detection, investigation and trial of criminal proceedings on corruption-related criminal offences during the war is a priority.

In addition, according to the President of the Criminal Cassation Court of the Supreme Court, effective counteraction to corruption is a prerequisite for Ukraine's victory in the war, an integral part of the European integration process and a guarantee of further state development in the post-war period. And the HACC plays a key role in this process. 

Oleksandr Marchuk noted that within the framework of joint events, judges of the Supreme Court and the HACC, representatives of the academic community and the bar regularly exchanged views and formed a common vision of ways to resolve disputes over the application of substantive and procedural law. He expressed hope that further cooperation would be fruitful and result in new practical developments.

In his speech, the President of the CrimCC of the Supreme Court also highlighted the current practice of the Supreme Court's consideration of proceedings on corruption-related criminal offences.