Ukraine passes legislation on instituting Higher Administrative Court in compliance with IMF criteria - parliamentarian

MOSCOW. Feb 26 (Interfax) - The Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada on Wednesday passed legislation on instituting a Higher Administrative Court, Ukrainian media reported with reference to parliamentarian Yaroslav Zheleznyak.

"The Rada has voted in favor of a bill on instituting a Higher Administrative Court. Thus, Ukraine has complied with one of the overdue IMF benchmarks, whose deadline was December 31, 2024," media quoted Zheleznyak as saying on his social account.

The legislators in fact amended the concept and decided to set up two courts, namely a Specialized District Administrative Court and a Specialized Administrative Court of Appeal, he said.

Within one month after the legislation takes effect, the High Qualification Commission of Judges will have to announce a tender for filling the judicial positions in the newly-instituted courts, he said.

"The tenders must take into account the legislation's specifics, with an expert board engaged," Zheleznyak said.

The law stipulates that an expert board shall consist of six persons, three of them delegated by the Council of Judges of Ukraine and the other three by international and foreign organizations, he said.