Open Expert Discussion “Formation of a Qualifications and Disciplinary Commission of Prosecutors: Who Will Be Given the Functions of a Prosecutor General after the Reform”

Dear colleagues!

We would like to invite you to take part in the open expert discussion “Formation of a Qualifications and Disciplinary Commission of Prosecutors: Who Will Be Given the Functions of a Prosecutor General after the Reform” which will be held on March 30, 2016 at 1-2:30 pm. The address: hotel “Ukraina” (4 Instytutska St.), assembly hall (3^rd floor).

Ukrainian and foreign experts, representatives of the Prosecutor General’s Office, and MPs will get together to discuss the status of the prosecution reform on March 30, two weeks before the establishment of a Qualifications and Disciplinary Commission of Prosecutors that will assume part of the functions of the Prosecutor General.

During the discussion, experts of the Reanimation Package of Reforms will present their proposals related to the procedure of formation and functioning of the Qualifications and Disciplinary Commission of Prosecutors. Further steps to reform the prosecution will also be discussed.

Please confirm your participation by following this link: https://goo.gl/XAzoIS

For reference:

Based on the results of the competition to fill the vacancies of heads of the newly established local prosecutor’s offices, the Prosecutor General has appointed 84% of former heads. The prosecution reform is under threat, however, an additional opportunity to cleanse the prosecution opens up on April 15, 2016, namely, establishment of a Qualifications and Disciplinary Commission of Prosecutors. The effective procedure for establishing this commission might let the Prosecutor General oversee its formation, which means that the existing vertical in the prosecution system might be cemented for dozens of years. Experts’ vision on how the commission should be formed is presented in the draft law No. 4281 “On amendments to the Law of Ukraine “On prosecution” (regarding specificity of functioning of the Qualifications and Disciplinary Commission of Prosecutors during the period of transition).” According to this draft law, prosecutors from the EU, the USA, and Canada can be engaged to the commission, while the commission is authorized to recruit, appoint, transfer, and dismiss prosecutors. It will provide an opportunity to hold a fair and impartial competition to fill the positions at the General Prosecutor’s Office and the regional prosecutor’s offices, to open up access to the lawyers without prior prosecutorial experience, and to implement the European principle, whereby prosecution shall be free from political influences.

Speakers of the event:

Olena Sotnyk, MP, Samopomich faction;
Mustafa Nayyem, MP, Petro Poroshenko Bloc;
Yegor Sobolev, MP, Samopomich faction;
Yuriy Lutsenko, MP, Petro Poroshenko Bloc(TBC);
Viktoriya Ptashnyk, independent MP;
Viktoriya Voytsitska, MP, Samopomich faction;
Andriy Kozhemiakin, MP faction “All-Ukrainian Union “Batkivshchyna”(TBC);
Oleksandr Banchuk, RPR and Centre of Policy and Legal Reform expert;
Vitaliy Shabunin, Antac Head of Board, RPR Board member;
Yaroslav Yurchyshyn, advocacy manager RPR.

Additional useful information:

Text of the draft law No. 4281

Analytical brief on Qualifications and Disciplinary Commission