Ensuring the effectiveness of justice is a priority in the European integration process – President of the Supreme Court

Since the early years of Ukraine’s independence, the judiciary has consistently been one of the key areas of reform. Over the past decade, these reforms have intensified significantly. Undoubtedly, they have produced certain positive results that have influenced many aspects of judicial practice. However, regrettably, some reforms have also had negative consequences — one of the most pressing being a shortage of judicial personnel. Therefore, when it comes to developing a strategy for the justice system and implementing further reforms, it is crucial to form a shared vision for their realization across all branches of government.

This was stated by Stanislav Kravchenko, President of the Supreme Court, during an open interview at the XIII International Judicial and Legal Forum organised by Yurydychna Praktyka (Legal Practice) newspaper.

In this context, Stanislav Kravchenko noted the high level of coordination among government bodies in the joint efforts to develop the Strategy for the Development of the Justice System and Constitutional Justice for 2025–2029, as well as the active involvement of the Supreme Court in this process. He expressed his gratitude to the Office of the President of Ukraine for an approach that ensures that all perspectives and aspects of the Strategy’s key elements are taken into account — making it capable of effectively fulfilling the tasks entrusted to the judiciary.

The President of the Supreme Court also underlined that in both the development and implementation of the Strategy, it is essential to align all steps with the norms of international law. Moreover, ensuring the effectiveness of justice is essentially the number one issue in the European integration process, because without a fair judiciary, there can be no democratic rule-of-law state.

Among the Strategy’s key priorities, Stanislav Kravchenko highlighted the need to establish clear mechanisms for addressing human resources issues — particularly in terms of disciplinary responsibility and optimizing selection procedures. He also stressed the urgent need to create a new court network aligned with the current administrative-territorial structure, which would ensure adequate access to justice for all citizens.