The expert group at the parliamentary temporary investigative commission (TIC) announced corruption risks in the activities of the Public Council, which assesses the integrity of judges.

The expert group at the Provisional Investigative Commission of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on the investigation of possible facts of corruption or corruption-related offenses in law enforcement agencies, courts, and judicial authorities (PIC) concluded on the legal status of the Public Council, which assesses the integrity of judges in Ukraine (PCI), reports UNN with reference to "Law and Business".

The draft document was prepared by the head of the group, a member of the NAU Committee on Human Rights Protection, Ihor Fomin, based on an analysis of information contained in media reports and public organizations regarding possible corruption risks in the activities of the High Qualification Commission of Judges and the High Council of Justice.

Fomin, in particular, noted that the study was conducted to compare the Ukrainian model of public participation in the evaluation of judges with the practices of European democracies. To do this, he analyzed the mechanisms of formation and powers of similar bodies in Great Britain, Germany, and France. Based on the comparative analysis, he concluded that in these countries, the participation of public representatives in the procedures for selecting and disciplining judges is carried out within clearly defined legal frameworks and under state control, while in Ukraine, the PCI actually functions without proper legal status and accountability.

Key points of the conclusion:

• The PCI has no legal status - it is not registered as a legal entity, has no status as a state, public, or public organization. It has no legally enshrined management structure and does not keep any legal records of its activities.

• At the same time, the PCI actually exercises governmental powers: it collects, verifies, and analyzes information about judges and candidates for judicial positions, provides conclusions on their integrity and ethics, and has access to state registers.

• The law does not define either the form or the procedures for such data collection, which creates risks of violating personal information protection legislation without incurring liability.

Such uncertainty in the status of the Public Integrity Council, according to Fomin, creates corruption risks.

The expert group emphasizes that the activities of the PCI do not comply with the legal system of Ukraine due to the lack of a clear legal status and control. Because of this, its participation in the evaluation of judges creates corruption risks and can undermine the independence of the judiciary.

The PCI, in turn, stated that their activities are regulated by Article 87 of the Law of Ukraine "On the Judiciary and the Status of Judges", and their main goal is public control over the selection and purification of the judicial corps.

Earlier, details of the scandal in the High Qualification Commission of Judges were published in the media. As it became known from the words of Inna Otrosh, a candidate of legal sciences, during the competition for appellate courts, the head of the HQCJ, Andriy Pasichnyk, violated the procedure for checking judges - instead of checking examination papers in the HQCJ information system, he allegedly checked them at home. At the same time, he received these papers by e-mail from an unknown person and then burned them. Pasichnyk refused to answer who handed him these papers.

It should be recalled that the Provisional Investigative Commission was established by a resolution of the Verkhovna Rada on June 19, 2025. Its tasks are:

1. To collect, analyze, and verify information about possible corruption or corruption-related offenses in courts and law enforcement agencies (excluding the direct administration of justice).

2. To assess the effectiveness of these bodies' actions in combating corruption and identify systemic shortcomings that lead to impunity.

3. To investigate the influence of interested parties or conflicts of interest in the activities of law enforcement agencies.

4. To prepare and submit proposals to the Verkhovna Rada regarding changes in legislation to increase the transparency, accountability, and independence of law enforcement agencies, courts, and the judiciary.

People's Deputy Serhiy Vlasenko was elected head of the PIC. The expert group is an advisory body to the PIC, consisting of 22 people.