Three judges of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine (CCU) have completed their nine-year term in office, and from now on, the Court will operate with a composition of 11 judges, necessitating the urgent filling of vacancies, as reported by the CCU's communications and legal monitoring department.
"On January 27, 2025, a ceremonial meeting was held at the Constitutional Court of Ukraine to mark the termination of the powers of Constitutional Court judges Viktor Kolesnyk, Viktor Kryvenko, and Volodymyr Moisyk due to the completion of their nine-year terms in accordance with Article 149-1 of the Constitution of Ukraine," - the CCU's statement said on Monday.
At the same time, the statement emphasizes that "starting today, the Constitutional Court of Ukraine will temporarily operate with a composition of eleven judges. Therefore, the prompt appointment of new judges is extremely important to ensure that the Constitutional Court of Ukraine continues to uphold the supremacy of the Constitution of Ukraine and protect the rights and freedoms of individuals."
The Commissioner for Human Rights of the Verkhovna Rada, Dmytro Lubinets, commented on the event. "The termination of the powers of three judges simultaneously results in a loss of the necessary quorum for conducting sessions of the Court's Grand Chamber, as well as the Second Senate of the Court. This situation is unacceptable, as the functioning of the Constitutional Court is crucial for the stability of the legal order and the guarantee of protecting the rights and freedoms of every citizen," Lubinets wrote in a Telegram message.
"I urge all responsible parties to ensure promptness in the selection and appointment of CCU judges, as this is vital for the stability of the constitutional order of our state," he added.
To convene sessions of the CCU's Grand Chamber, which considers constitutional presentations, the presence of at least 12 CCU judges is required. Currently, competitions are underway for three vacant CCU judge positions from the quota of the President of Ukraine and for two vacant CCU judge positions from the quota of the Congress of Judges.
The Constitutional Court of Ukraine consists of 18 judges. Six judges are appointed by the President of Ukraine, six by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, and six by the Congress of Judges of Ukraine.