Skip to content

Corruption Ledger

The Public Ledger of Corruption

  • About
  • Corruption
    • banks
    • corporate
    • environment
    • government
    • health
    • Leaks
    • misinformation
    • privacy and surveillance
    • Protest and Unrest
  • Sanctions
    • Sanctions News
    • Global Sanctions Feed
    • European Sanctions Feed
    • Canadian Sanctions Feed
    • US Sanctions Feed
  • Regions
    • Asias
    • Europe
    • Middle East
    • Oceania
    • US & Canada
    • World
  • Enforcement
  • Economy
  • International Conflict
  • Tech
  • Cryptocurrency
  • Free Speech
  • Toggle search form
  • Wells Fargo fined for sanctions breach _enforcement
  • Google Co-Founder, Other Billionaires Are Issued Subpoenas in Lawsuit Over JPMorgan’s Ties to Jeffrey Epstein; Sergey Brin, Thomas Pritzker, Mortimer Zuckerman and Michael Ovitz are asked for information in U.S. Virgin Islands’ civil suit against bank All Regions
  • Chinese businessman Guo Wengui seeks bail in $1 billion fraud case All Regions
  • IMF approves $15.6 billion Ukraine loan, part of $115 billion in global support All Regions
  • Russian preventive strike ‘petition’ possible after Ukrainian nuke plea -ITAR-TASS All Regions
  • Dominion’s Fox News defamation case headed to trial All Regions
  • Pussy Riot Member Accused of ‘Insulting Religious Sensibilities’, adds her to wanted list All Regions
  • Finland Clears Last Obstacle to NATO Entry All Regions

Ukraine’s Constitutional Crisis

Posted on November 6, 2020February 20, 2023 By 5amResearch No Comments on Ukraine’s Constitutional Crisis

On October 27, the Constitutional Court of Ukraine effectively blew up the foundations of the anti-corruption reforms put in place since the 2014 revolution that removed Viktor Yanukovych from power. Thanks to a decision that has sparked protests outside the court, it is no longer illegal for public officials to lie in their declarations of financial interests and assets. The declarations will no longer be independently verified by the National Agency on Corruption Prevention. Immediately, over one hundred criminal proceedings were dropped as the offence under investigation was decriminalised.

Scandalous as it is, the decision is just the tip of the iceberg. The bigger problem is that the Constitutional Court judges exceeded their powers. Going beyond the scope of the petition put to them by parliamentarians, they answered a question they had not been asked. In doing so, the judges served pro-Russian elites, turning the country back from a path towards European integration that is lined with governance reforms.

Not only had the anti-corruption tools abolished by the court proven to be effective, they were the cornerstone of the country’s progress towards the West. For the anti-corruption community in Ukraine, this raises a difficult question. How to protect the country from the actions of the Constitutional Court itself? The court is protected by the Constitution, so there is no easy way to change how it works. Legislators writing the Constitution in 1996 probably never imagined that the judges charged with upholding the document would act unreasonably, in violation of the Constitution and to the detriment of the state. The phrasing of Articles in the Constitution was meant to avoid the court being influenced by changes in political elites. A series of rulings going back at least to 2010, and accelerating this year, have proven that this is not the case.

There are currently two issues that need to be prioritized. The first is slowing down the court’s drive to destroy reforms and Ukraine’s process of European integration. The second is restoring the effectiveness of the anti-corruption system and providing it with the tools it needs to hold those in power to account.

The first issue could not be more urgent. Currently, the Constitutional Court has on its agenda land reform, the law on the Deposit Guarantee Fund, and the law on the High Anti-Corruption Court. If we do not start resolving the problem now, very soon, Ukrainians could wake up in a different country — one with a ruined economy instead of reforms. It could all happen in as little as a week.

The Parliament and all factions need to set aside their political differences and focus on the Constitutional Court as their number one priority. MPs need to amend the law on the Constitutional Court of Ukraine, changing the quorum and the necessary number of votes for decision-making to a minimum 15 votes or more. They need to set forth a transparent, accountable selection procedure, and hold a competitive recruitment for the court’s three vacant seats under the new rules.

The president and the Parliament must start a full reboot of the High Council of Justice (HCJ)and the High Qualification Commission of Judges (HQCJ), also dissolving Kyiv Administrative Court. The HQCJ and HCJ are responsible for formation of the courts in Ukraine. The situation we are now facing with the Constitutional Court results from a lack of judicial reform as a whole. Ukrainians’ distrust of the courts is higher than of any other government body. The Kyiv District Administrative Court has become the epitome of injustice and corruption in Ukraine.

This alone will not be enough. Those Constitutional Court judges who supported the disgraceful decision to undermine anti-corruption progress should do the decent thing and resign. Ukraine should not be hostage to their pro-Russia agenda. This will happen only if they still have an ounce of respect for themselves and the country. More than 200 MPs have called the judges who voted for the decision to resign, as have almost 50 civil society organisations.

These steps would be a legal mechanism for re-establishing the integrity of the Constitutional Court with some safeguards against actions that are arbitrary or driven by Ukraine’s enemies. All these actions are completely legal, comply with both the Constitution and the powers of the legislative branch of government, and should receive the support of our international partners.

If this plan is implemented today, in 2022, we will see quite a few new faces in the Constitutional Court, as well as the first results of the long-awaited judicial reform.

The essence of the problem raised by the Constitutional Court of Ukraine last Tuesday is much broader, and the consequences of this decision affect not only the promotion of anti-corruption reform, but the development of Ukraine as a whole. The result of a pro-Russian, or even neutral, path for Ukraine would be chaos for Ukrainians. The reforms of the past six years are too hard-won for that.

Source: Transparency.org

All Regions, Corruption, government corruption, Protest and Unrest, Region Asias, Region Europe Tags:Deposit Guarantee Fund, High Council of Justice, Kyiv Administrative Court. Constitutional Court of Ukraine. Political corruption, Ukraine

Post navigation

Previous Post: Opioid manufacturer Purdue Pharma: Criminal and Civil Investigations
Next Post: New records show DHS are buying & using cell phone location data

See also

  • Justice Department Finds Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections Violates the Constitution By Incarcerating People Beyond Their Release Dates _enforcement
  • Tennessee State Senator Pleads Guilty to Campaign Finance Scheme corporate corruption
  • Cerespo Co and Fuji Creative Corp: 4 more arrested over Tokyo Olympics bid rigging All Regions
  • KPMG settles £1.3bn lawsuit from Carillion creditors over alleged negligence _enforcement
  • Paramount to make blades for Africa’s Soviet-era helicopters in UAE Aerospace
  • Corporate and White-Collar Enforcement in 2023–24 All Regions

You must log in to post a comment.

  • Wells Fargo fined for sanctions breach
  • Google Co-Founder, Other Billionaires Are Issued Subpoenas in Lawsuit Over JPMorgan’s Ties to Jeffrey Epstein; Sergey Brin, Thomas Pritzker, Mortimer Zuckerman and Michael Ovitz are asked for information in U.S. Virgin Islands’ civil suit against bank
  • Chinese businessman Guo Wengui seeks bail in $1 billion fraud case
  • IMF approves $15.6 billion Ukraine loan, part of $115 billion in global support
  • Dominion’s Fox News defamation case headed to trial
  • Pussy Riot Member Accused of ‘Insulting Religious Sensibilities’, adds her to wanted list
  • Russian preventive strike ‘petition’ possible after Ukrainian nuke plea -ITAR-TASS
  • Finland Clears Last Obstacle to NATO Entry
  • Macron announces water saving plan; says protests will not stop reforms
  • Kremlin comments on WSJ correspondent arrest
  • Minnesota derailment spills ethanol, prompts evacuations
  • Deutsche Bank Stock Tumbles On Contagion Fears
  • Wall St falls as bank contagion fears flare up
  • US due diligence firm Mintz Group says staff detained in China after office raid
  • Credit Suisse, UBS facing US Russia-sanctions probe, subpoenas also sent to employees major US banks
  • (US) Appeals court sides with Justice Department in Trump lawyer fight
  • Russia boosts defenses near Japan; accuses U.S. of expanding Asia-Pacific presence
  • US credit card debt at record high as Fed raises rates again
  • Russian tech giants appeal Nasdaq delisting
  • China Denounces Submarine Deal
  • China insists it is impartial on Russia-Ukraine, questions US ‘pouring weapons into the conflict’
  • German ambassador confirms that Putin would be arrested if he entered Germany
  • Danish Navy present near Nord Stream 2 – media
  • Railroad reluctant to say who OK’d chemical burn after Ohio derailment
  • Scientists insist on continuing search for toxics in East Palestine
  • Top aide of Canadian PM Trudeau will testify in parliament on Chinese election meddling
  • Zuckerberg, Meta sued for failing to address sex trafficking, child exploitation
  • Norfolk Southern: Independent group finds toxic chemicals that Ohio EPA didn’t – Ohio train derailment (East Palestine)
  • JP Morgan, Deutsche Bank to face lawsuit over Epstein ties
  • Putin announces readiness to switch to the Chinese Yuan currency in foreign trade
  • Putin and Xi sign two documents in Moscow
  • Russia says jet scrambled as US B-52 bombers fly over Baltic Sea
  • Paris police, protesters clash for third night over Macron’s pension reform
  • Global / ChipMixer software ‘taken down’ by multi-national law enforcement coalition
  • Russian officials scoff at ICC’s indictment of Putin
  • SVB parent company files for bankruptcy
  • Violent protests in France over Macron’s retirement age push
  • International court issues war crimes warrant for Putin
  • US / Chinese tycoon and Bannon ally Guo Wengui charged with $1bn fraud
  • Samsung to invest $230 billion to build mega chip cluster
  • Pentagon calls Moscow over drone incident
  • Credit Suisse slump renews fears of global banking crisis
  • Silicon Valley Bank execs, parent company sued after collapse
  • Credit Suisse Shares Plunge as Bank Storm Spreads to Europe
  • Dow tumbles nearly 500 points as Credit Suisse stokes fears of bank failure contagion
  • Russian jet, US drone crash over Black Sea, US military says
  • Dark hours for Credit Suisse Bank
  • Account full of holes at Credit Suisse
  • Russia blasts Canada over ‘regime change’
  • US / Sterling Bancorp, Inc. to Plead Guilty to $69M Securities Fraud
  • US drones have no business near Russia – ambassador
  • Inflation in Argentina surges past 100 percent in historic spike
  • Paris visitors alarmed at trash strike
  • China says AUKUS on ‘dangerous path’ with nuclear subs deal
  • Taiwan unveils portable attack drone as China tensions rise
  • Putin rejects theory about Ukrainian role in pipeline blasts
  • Syrian president Assad arrives in Moscow, set to meet Putin
  • Marin’s F-18 proposal fizzles, as a new Finnish NATO tack emerges
  • Ohio sues Norfolk Southern over toxic train derailment
  • US / ‘Forever chemicals’ in drinking water
  • Nord Stream blasts staged by a state-level actor – Putin
  • No Harvey Weinstein retrial on rape, sex assault charges
  • US / Silicon Valley Bank execs, parent company sued after collapse
  • As U.S. steps back from Middle East, China steps in
  • Western sanctions shielding Russian financial system from global crisis – Kremlin
  • Moody’s puts US banks on notice
  • Robert Kiyosaki predicts next big bank to fold
  • UK $6 billion defense boost targets atomic submarines, weapons top-up
  • BBC gets £20 million boost from UK govt
  • Document reveals why Canada arms Saudi Arabia – media
  • Taiwan braces for ‘total blockade’ – media
  • Biden administration lets Ukrainians who fled war stay in US
  • Ratings Deceit: S&P sued for deceitful CDO ratings
Rumble Video

Corruption Ledger Follow

The Public ▇▇▇ Ledger of ▇▇▇ Corruption. https://t.co/wkobrEotQR

5amResearch
Corruption Ledger @5amresearch ·
10 Feb

News Coverage of the September 2022 #NordStream Pipeline Attack https://corruptionledger.com/news-coverage-of-the-september-2022-nord-stream-pipeline-attack/ via @5amResearch

Reply on Twitter 1623868066818928641 Retweet on Twitter 1623868066818928641 Like on Twitter 1623868066818928641
Corruption Ledger @5amresearch ·
10 Feb

Mia Jankowicz of Business Insider calls Pulitzer prize-winning journalist Seymore Harsh a "discredited journalist." #NordStream

Reply on Twitter 1623857264086974464 Retweet on Twitter 1623857264086974464 Like on Twitter 1623857264086974464 1
Corruption Ledger @5amresearch ·
9 Feb

#Kraken to Discontinue Unregistered Offer and Sale of Crypto Asset Staking-As-A-Service Program and Pay $30 Million to Settle SEC Charges
https://www.sec.gov/news/press-release/2023-25

Reply on Twitter 1623815305452560384 Retweet on Twitter 1623815305452560384 Like on Twitter 1623815305452560384
Corruption Ledger @5amresearch ·
9 Feb

SpaceX: Ukraine breaching agreement, weaponizing Starlink https://en.mdn.tv/71FW

Reply on Twitter 1623685510496505860 Retweet on Twitter 1623685510496505860 Like on Twitter 1623685510496505860
Load More

–

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Copyright © 2022 Corruption Ledger. This web site contains no ads.