Meddling with justice: Competitive politics, impunity, and distrusted courts in post-orange Ukraine

Demokratizatsiya

Volumn 18, Issue 2, 2010, Pages 122-147

  Trochev, Alexei ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO   (Canada)

Author keywords

fragmentation of power; impunity; judicial corruption; judicial independence; post Communism; ukraine

Indexed keywords

COMMUNISM; CORRUPTION; EMPOWERMENT;

UKRAINE;

EID: 77954039335     PISSN: 10746846     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.3200/DEMO.18.2.122-147     Document Type: Article

References (144)

1. Ukraine's judicial system employs some 7,500 judges and consists of the Constitutional Court, 693 courts of general jurisdiction in charge of civil and criminal cases headed by the Supreme Court, 38 economic courts in charge of commercial disputes headed by the High Economic Court, and 34 administrative courts in charge of disputes between citizens (corporations) and government authorities headed by the High Administrative Court.
2. See, e.g., Y. Zakharov, I. Rapp, V. Yavorsky, eds., Human Rights in Ukraine - 2007. Report by Human Rights Organisations (Kharkiv: Prava Ludyny, 2008), pp. 32-54, at http://library.khpg. org/files/docs/1240732247.pdf (accessed on November 30, 2009).
3. "Interview: Yushchenko on Elections and Courts," Deutsche Welle, October 23, 2008 at http:// www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3733051,00. html (accessed November 30, 2009);
4. "President Took Part in the Ceremony of Oath-Taking by the Newly Appointed Judges," http://president. gov.ua, February 18, 2009, at http://www.president.gov.ua/news/12955.html (accessed November 30, 2009);
5. "President Took Part in the Meeting of the National Commission on Strengthening Democracy," http://president.gov.ua, December 10, 2008, at http://www.president.gov. ua/news/12310.html (accessed November 30, 2009).
6. "Yulia Tymoshenko: Sooner or Later an Honest Court Will Assess the Fraudulent 2010 Elections," Official website of Yulia Tymoshenko, February 20, 2010, http://www.tymoshenko.ua/en/ article/uv4w2uwz (accessed April 10, 2010);
7. and "Statement by Yulia Tymoshenko Regarding Decision by Ukraine's Constitutional Court," For-ua.com, April 9, 2010, http://en.for-ua.com/ analytics/ 2010/04/09/115322.html (accessed April 10, 2010).
8. See materials of the 8th extraordinary Congress of Judges of Ukraine, Statutes and Decisions: The Laws of the USSR and Its Successor States 44, no.1 (January-February 2009). According to the surveys of some 1,000 judges from eight oblasts of Ukraine conducted in 2007 and 2008, more than a half (57 percent in 2007 and 51 percent in 2008) of those surveyed reported that the level of judicial independence was "unsatisfactory" during 2007 and 2008, respectively, yet slightly less than 40 percent of surveyed felt the same way about the level of judicial independence that existed between 1996 and 2004. Monitoring of Judicial Independence in Ukraine. Year 2008 (Kyiv: Center of Judicial Studies, 2008), 20, pp. 53-54, at http://www.judges.org.ua/article/ Mon2008.pdf
9. Mark J. Ramseyer, "The Puzzling (In)dependence of Courts: A Comparative Approach," Journal of Legal Studies 23, no.2 (June 1994): 721-47;
10. Pedro C. Magalhães, "The Politics of Judicial Reform in Eastern Europe," Comparative Politics 32, no.1 (October 1999): 43-62;
11. Tom Ginsburg, Judicial Review in New Democracies: Constitutional Courts in Asian Cases (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2003);
12. Rebecca Bill Chavez, Rule of Law in Nascent Democracies: Judicial Politics in Argentina (Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University Press, 2004);
13. and Jodi Finkel, Judicial Reform as Political Insurance: Argentina, Peru, and Mexico in the 1990s (Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 2008).
14. Douglass C. North and Barry R. Weingast, "Constitutions and Commitment: The Evolution of Institutions Governing Public Choice in Seventeenth-Century England," in Lee J. Alston, Thrainn Eggertsson and Douglass C. North, eds., Empirical Studies in Institutional Change (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996), pp. 134-165, quote at 162.
15. Maria Popova, "Political Competition as an Obstacle to Judicial Independence: Evidence from Russia and Ukraine," Comparative Political Studies 43, no.10, forthcoming in October, 2010.
16. See, e.g., Fareed Zakaria, "The Rise of Illiberal Democracy," Foreign Affairs 76, no.6 (November/December 1997): 22-43;
17. and Guillermo O'Donnell, "Delegative Democracy," Journal of Democracy 5, no.1 (1994): 55-69.
18. See, for example, Kataryna Wolczuk, The Moulding of Ukraine: The Constitutional Politics of State Formation (Budapest: Central European University Press, 2001).
19. László Sólyom, "The First Year of the Constitutional Court," Acta Juridica Hungarica 33, nos. 1-2 (1991), p. 5;
20. and András Sajó, "The Roundtable Talks in Hungary," in Jon Elster, ed., Roundtable Talks and the Breakdown of Communism (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996), p. 93.
21. Alexei Trochev, "Less Democracy, More Courts: A Puzzle of Judicial Review in Russia," Law and Society Review 38, no.3 (September 2004): 513-548.
22. Thomas Carothers, The End of the Transition Paradigm, Journal of Democracy 13, no.1 (2002): 10-11.
23. Alisa Yurchenko, "Justice Is Ready for Marriage," Vlast Deneg 5 (May 2009): 10-16.
24. See Lisa Hilbink, Judges beyond Politics in Democracy and Dictatorship: Lessons from Chile (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2007), pp. 46-63.
25. By April 2009, the Rule of Law Assistance Directory listed 75 rule-of-law projects in Ukraine funded by the Western taxpayers, at http://www.idlo.int/ ROL/external/ROLHome.asp (accessed November 30, 2009).
26. See, e.g., Alexei Trochev, Judging Russia: The Constitutional Court in Russian Politics, 1990- 2006 (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2008).
27. Alexei Trochev, "Judicial Behavior in Post-Communist 'Colored' Revolutions," paper presented at the Berkeley-Sawyer Seminar in Judicial Politics (November 7-8, 2008).
28. See, e.g. Venelin I. Ganev, "The Rise of Constitutional Adjudication in Bulgaria," in Wojciech Sadurski, ed., Constitutional Justice: East and West (The Hague: Kluwer Law International, 2002), pp. 247-264;
29. and Ralitza Peeva, "Electing A Czar: The 2001 Elections and Bulgarian Democracy," East European Constitutional Review 10, no.4 (Fall 2001), at http://www1.law.nyu.edu/eecr/ vol10num4/focus/peeva.html (accessed November 30, 2009).
30. See Kim Lane Scheppele, "Guardians of the Constitution: Constitutional Court Presidents and the Struggle for the Rule of Law in Post-Soviet Europe," University of Pennsylvania Law Review 154 (2006): 1757-1851;
31. and Conclusion of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Lithuania of 31 March 2004, Case No. 14/04, available in English at http://www.lrkt.lt/ dokumentai/2004/ c040331.htm (accessed November 30, 2009).
32. "Punish Rada Rats," Kyiv Post, December 12, 2007, available at http://www.kyivpost.com/ news/opinion/editorial/detail/27989 (accessed November 30, 2009).
33. Taras Kuzio, "Ukraine's Elites Remain Above the Law," Eurasia Daily Monitor 4, no.147 (July 30, 2007), available at http://www.jamestown.org/ single/?no-cache=1&tx-ttnews%5Btt- ews%5D=32904 (accessed November 30, 2009).
34. Keith Darden, "The Integrity of Corrupt States: Graft as an Informal State Institution," Politics & Society 36, no.1 (March 2008): 35-59.
35. Mark Rachkevych, Alina Pastukhova, and Stephen Bandera, "Ukraine's Greatest Crimes, Injustices & Other Tragedies," Kyiv Post, December 10, 2008, available at http://www.kyivpost. com/news/nation/detail/31861 (accessed November 30, 2009).
36. Catherine Wanner, "Money, Morality and New Forms of Exchange in Ukraine," Ethnos 71, no.4 (December 2005): 515-537;
37. and Peter Rodgers, Colin C. Williams, and John Round, "Workplace Crime and the Informal Economy in Ukraine," International Journal of Social Economics 35, no.9 (2008): 666-678.
38. See, e.g., Venelin Ganev, Preying on the State: The Transformation of Bulgaria after 1989 (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2007);
39. Hootan Shambayati1 and Esen Kirdis, "In Pursuit of "Contemporary Civilization": Judicial Empowerment in Turkey," Political Research Quarterly 62, no.4 (2009): 767-780.
40. See, e.g., George Tsebelis, Veto Players: How Political Institutions Work (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2002), pp. 222-235.
41. See, e.g., "Expert Commentaries on the Orange Revolution," Ukraine Analyst 1, no.6 (30 November 2008): 3-8.
42. See, e.g., Paul D'Anieri, Understanding Ukrainian Politics: Power, Politics, and Institutional Design (Armonk, NY: M. E. Sharpe, 2007), pp. 50-51, 64, 204-207, 236;
43. and Kataryna Wolczuk, "The Constitutional Court in Ukraine: The Politics of Survival," in Wojciech Sadurski, ed., Constitutional Justice, East and West (The Hague: Kluwer Law International, 2002), pp. 327-348.
44. See Nations in Transit, published by Freedom House, available at http://www.freedomhouse. org (accessed November 30, 2009).
45. See, e.g., Anders Åslund and Michael McFaul, eds., Revolution in Orange: The Origins of Ukraine's Democratic Breakthrough (New York: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 2006);
46. Andrew Wilson, Ukraine's Orange Revolution (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2005);
47. a symposium "Democratic Revolutions in Post-Communist States," Communist and Post-Communist Studies 39, no.3 (September 2006): 283-430
48. and a special issue "Democratic Revolution in Ukraine: From Kuchmagate to Orange Revolution," Journal of Communist Studies and Transition Politics 23, no. 1 (2007): 1-179.
49. Rishennya Verkhovnoho Sudu Ukraini [Decision of the Ukrainian Supreme Court] of December 3, 2004, http://zakon.rada.gov.ua/cgi-bin/laws/main.cgi?nreg= n0090700%2D04 (accessed November 30, 2009).
50. For analysis of this decision in English, see, e.g., Natalie Prescott, "Orange Revolution in Red, White, and Blue: US Impact on the 2004 Ukrainian Election," Duke Journal of International and Comparative Law 16 (2006): 219-248.
51. See, e.g., Adrian Karatnycky, "Checks and Balances," The Orange Circle Newsletter (Winter 2006): 2-3, available at http://www.orangecircle.org/ news/newsletters/oc-newsletter-2006-winter. pdf (accessed November 30, 2009).
52. "Zaversheno formuvannia sistemi administrativnikh sudiv v Ukraini," (Formation of Administrative Courts in Ukraine is Completed), March 3, 2009, available at http://www.vasu.gov.ua/ua/ imp-sub.html?-m= publications&t=rec&id=963 (accessed November 30, 2009).
53. See, e.g., President Yushchenko's speech at the 7th Congress of Judges, 2 November 2005, available at http://www.president.gov.ua/news/1599.html (accessed November 30, 2009);
54. and a Concept of Improvement of the Judiciary, as approved by presidential Decree 361/2006 of May 10, 2006, at http://www.president.gov.ua/ru/ documents/4333.html (accessed November 30, 2009).
55. See, e.g., Dmytro Tupchienko, "Ukraine's Rule of Law: Still in Need of Radical Reform," Ukraine Analyst 1, no.6 (30 November 2008): 1-3.
56. Viktor Yanukovych, the loser of the Orange Revolution, won the 2010 presidential election with 49 percent of the vote, ahead of then-incumbent Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko (45 percent) and Viktor Yuschenko (5 percent). Yanukovych's Party of Regions received the largest share of the votes (32 percent) in the 2006 parliamentary elections and was forced to enter into a coalition with Yuschenko's party, the Communist Party and the Socialist Party to form the Cabinet. In the 2007 pre-term parliamentary elections, triggered by Yuschenko's dissolution of the parliament, the Party of Regions came in first again with 34 percent of the vote, but was forced in opposition because Yuschenko's party and Bloc Yulia Tymoshenko formed a governing coalition.
57. See, e.g., Paul D'Anieri, "Ethnic Tensions and State Strategies: Understanding the Survival of the Ukrainian State," Journal of Communist Studies and Transition Politics 23, no 1 (March 2007): 4-29.
58. On the dissolution of the Verkhovna Rada in 2007, see Erik S. Herron, "The Parliamentary Election in Ukraine, September 2007," Electoral Studies 27, no.3 (September 2008): 551-555.
59. On the failed dissolution of the Verkhovna Rada in 2008, see "Ukraine's President Says No Elections This Year," RFE/RL, November 12, 2008, available at http://www.rferl.org/articleprintview/ 1348254.html (accessed November 30, 2009).
60. See, e.g., Geir Flikke, "Pacts, Parties and Elite Struggle: Ukraine's Troubled Post-Orange Transition," Europe-Asia Studies 60, no.3 (May 2008): 375-396.
61. Thomas Carothers, The End of the Transition Paradigm, Journal of Democracy 13, no.1 (2002): pp. 10-11;
62. and Mykola Ryabchuk, "Pluralism by Default: Ukraine and the Law of Com- municating Vessels," Eurozine, September 17, 2008, at http://www.eurozine.com/articles/2008-09- 17-riabchuk-en.html (accessed November 30, 2009).
63. See, e.g., Bohdan Futey, "Crisis in the Constitutional Court of Ukraine: A Court without Judges?" Yurydychniy Visnyk, 27 August 2005, available at http://www.ukrainianstudies.uottawa. ca/ukraine-list/ukl362-6.html (accessed November 30, 2009);
64. Pavel Korduban, "Ukraine's Constitutional Court under Pressure," Eurasia Daily Monitor 4, no. 100 (May 22, 2007), available at http://www.jamestown.org/single/?no-cache=1&tx-ttnews%5Btt-news%5D=32758 (accessed November 30, 2009);
65. Alina Pastukhova, "Nation's Courts Are the Latest Political Battleground," Kyiv Post, July 2, 2008, available at http://www.kyivpost. com/news/nation/detail/29209 (accessed November 30, 2009);
66. "Ukraine: Respect Independent Judiciary," Human Rights Watch (October 28, 2008), available at http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2008/10/28/ukraine- respect-independent-judiciary (accessed November 30, 2009).
67. See, also, Ukraine's Judicial Reform Index 2005 prepared by the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative, at http://www.abanet.org/rol/ publications/ukraine-jri-2006-eng.pdf (accessed November 30, 2009).
68. Articles 371-400 of the Ukraine's Criminal Code define such offenses. The text of the Criminal Code of Ukraine in English is available at http://www.legislationline.org/documents/id/8929 (accessed November 30, 2009).
69. See, e.g., the interview with Oleh Bachun, the chairman of the Kyiv City Administrative Court, complaining against President Yushchenko's decree abolishing this court, Ekonomicheskie izvestiya, October 17, 2008, at http://www.eizvestia.com/state/full/41333 (accessed November 30, 2009);
70. and an article "Operation 'Liquidation of Courts' Entered a Phase 'Liquidation of Judges'," by Serhiy Shtogun, Acting Chairman of the Kyiv District Administrative Court, Golos Ukraini, November 4, 2008.
71. See, e.g., Alena V. Ledeneva, "Telephone Justice in Russia," Post-Soviet Affairs 24, no.4 (2008): 324-350.
72. On Ukraine, see Jan Neutze and Adrian Karatnycky, Corruption, Democracy, and Investment in Ukraine, Atlantic Council Policy Paper (October 2007), 11, at http:// acus.org/docs/071016-Corruption,%20Democracy, %20and%20Investment%20in%20Ukraine.pdf (accessed November 30, 2009).
73. See, e.g., Ivan Lozowy, "Underpaid, Underqualified, and Under the Gun," Transitions Online, May 27, 2004;
74. and Oleksandra Prymachenko, "Underside of Judicial Robe," Dzerkalotyzhnia, November 29-December 5, 2003, at http://www.dt.ua/1000/1050/ 44172 (accessed November 30, 2009).
75. See, e.g., Neutze and Karatnycky, Corruption, Democracy, and Investment in Ukraine, 11-14; Anastasiia Martinchuk, "Luganskie sudy: spravedlivost' est'?," Real'naia gazeta"Izhitsa," October 10, 2007, available at http://realgazeta.com.ua/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=657 (accessed November 30, 2009);
76. Yuliia Kim, "Interview with the Chair of the Solomenskiy District Court Valeriy Poberezhnyy: Our judges - the downtrodden, frightened by the system," GLAVRED.INFO, January 30, 2008, available at http://glavred.info/ archive/2008/01/30/141731- 0.html (accessed November 30, 2009);
77. "Judicial System of Ukraine and Its Role in Illegal Hostile Corporate Takeovers," Corporate Relations Research Center, June 27, 2007, available at http://www. corporativ.info/?/analytic/2217 (accessed November 30, 2009);
78. "Justice Minister Nikolay Onishchuk: 'Telephone Justice' Disappeared But Financial Dependence Didn't," Argumenty i Fakty v Ukraine, February 20, 2008, available at http://www.aif.ua/articles/article.aspx?IssueId= 351&Arti cleId=5267 (accessed November 30, 2009).
79. Article 126 of the 1996 Constitution of Ukraine. Surveys of judges show that most of them are comfortable with these constitutional guarantees. Monitoring of Judicial Independence in Ukraine. Year 2008, 48.
80. Law of Ukraine of 15.12.1992 2862-XII "On Status of Judges." All Ukrainian laws are available at the website of the Parliament of Ukraine, at http://zakon1.rada.gov.ua/cgi-bin/laws/main.cgi (accessed November 30, 2009).
81. The procedure of dismissals of judges by the Parliament is regulated by the Law of Ukraine of 18.03.2004, 1625-IV "On the Procedure for the Election for and Dismissal from the Post of Professional Judge by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine."
82. The information on the activity of the HCJ is provided on the official website of the HCJ at http://www.vru.gov.ua/ (accessed November 30, 2009).
83. Monitoring of Judicial Independence in Ukraine. Year 2008, 67-68.
84. See, e.g., the successful dismissal of judge Mykola Zamkovenko, who released Yuliya Tymoshenko from jail in 2001, Larisa Yarovaya, "Fired from a Non-Existent Position?" Dzerkalo tyzhnia, July 28-August 3, 2001, at http://www.mw.ua/1000/1030/31739 (accessed November 30, 2009);
85. and unsuccessful dismissal of judge Yurii Vasylenko, who launched two criminal cases against President Kuchma in 2002, "Parliament Refused to Dismiss Judge Who Launched Criminal Cases against Kuchma," Korrespondent.Net, December 23, 2004, at http://korrespondent.net/ ukraine/politics/110058 (accessed November 30, 2009).
86. "President Viktor Yushchenko States That Idea of Carrying out Lustration of Power Is not Topical," April 12, 2005, National Radio Company of Ukraine, available at http://www.nrcu.gov. ua/index.php/java/Board/index. php?id=148&listid=12943 (accessed November 30, 2009).
87. Orysia Kulik, "Fate of Nation in Hands of Constitutional Court," Kyiv Post, August 17, 2006, at http://www.kyivpost.com/news/nation/ detail/24955 (accessed November 30, 2009);
88. Alexandra Prymachenko, "The Supreme Court Will Have a New Chairman," Dzerkalo tyzhnia, September 30 - October 6, 2006, at http://www.mw.ua/1000/1030/54669 (accessed November 30, 2009).
89. "Mukachiv Judge Decided to Outsmart the Rada," ForUm, February 8, 2007, available at http://for-ua.com/ukraine/2007/02/08/134302.html (accessed November 30, 2009).
90. "Mukachiv Judge May Be Dismissed in Absentia," LIGABiznesinform, February 8, 2007, available at http://news.liga.net/news/ N0706082.html (accessed November 30, 2009).
91. "Verkhovna Rada Gets Even with Judge Who Went Against Moroz," Ukrayinska Pravda, April 5, 2007 (accessed November 30, 2009), at http://www.khpg.org/en/index.php?id=1175816625 (accessed November 30, 2009).
92. Serhii Rakhmanin, "Constitutional Fits," Dzerkalo tyzhnia, April 14-20, 2007, at http://www. mw.ua/1000/1030/56426 (accessed November 30, 2009).
93. Presidential Decree No 264/2007 of April 2, 2007, "On the Early Termination of Powers of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine," at http://www.pravda.com.ua/en/news/2007/4/4/7396.htm (accessed November 30, 2009).
94. See, e.g., pts. 53-59 of the Report of the Monitoring Committee of the Council of Europe "Functioning of democratic institutions in Ukraine" (April 17, 2007), at http://assembly.coe. int/Main.asp?link=/Documents/ WorkingDocs/Doc07/EDOC11255.htm;
95. and "Demonstrators Try to Block Ukraine's Constitutional Court," RFE/RL Newsline, April 18, 2007, at http://www.rferl. org/content/article/1075935.html (accessed November 30, 2009).
96. Presidential Decree No 355/2007 of April 26, 2007, "On the Early Termination of Powers of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine," at http://www.president.gov.ua/documents/6068.html (accessed November 30, 2009).
97. "Yushchenko Sacked Constitutional Court Judge Stanik," Ukrayinska Pravda, May 2, 2007, at http://pravda.com.ua/en/news/2007/5/2/7646. htm (accessed November 30, 2009);
98. "Third Judge Sacked From Ukraine Constitutional Court," RFE/RL Newsline, May 10, 2007, at http://www.rferl. org/content/article/1076385.html (accessed November 30, 2009).
99. The Constitutional Court Defied Yushchenko," Ukrayinska Pravda, May 21, 2007, at http:// www.pravda.com.ua/en/news/2007/5/21/7817.htm (accessed November 30, 2009).
100. "President Reinstates Stanik on Post of Constitutional Court Judge," UNIAN, April 2, 2008, at http://www.unian.net/eng/news/news-244446. html (accessed November 30, 2009).
101. Technically, President Yushchenko dismissed Justice Stanik by canceling the decree No 368 of March 25, 2004, issued by President Kuchma on appointing her to the UCC. See Presidential Decree No 297/2008 of April 3, 2008, at http://www.president.gov.ua/documents/7682.html (accessed November 30, 2009).
102. Aleksandr Sviridenko and Elena Geda, "Suzanna Stanik Successfully Litigated the Rule of Law," Kommersant-Ukraina, February 27, 2009, available at http://www.kommersant.ua/docy. html?docId=1126762&issueId= 7000058 (accessed November 30, 2009).
103. Mikhail Kramarenko, "Stanik Settles Scores with Yushchenko for the Sake of Principle," Seychas, February 27, 2009, available at http://www.seychas.com.ua/news/2009/2/27/4899.htm (accessed November 30, 2009).
104. "Verkhovna Rada dismissed judge of Constitutional Court Petro Stetsiuk," National Radio Company of Ukraine, April 10, 2007, at http://www.nrcu.gov.ua/index.php?id=148&listid=45996 (accessed November 30, 2009).
105. Serhii Rakhmanin, "Lofty Lies, Mean Truths," Dzerkalo tyzhnia, May 19-25, 2007, at http:// www.mw.ua/1000/1030/56426 (accessed November 30, 2009);
106. and "Ihor Pukshin: It Is Expedient to Appoint a New Constitutional Court after Preterm Elections of the Verkhovna Rada," Press-Service of the President of Ukraine, September 26, 2007, at http://www.president.gov.ua/ru/ news/7635. html (accessed November 30, 2009).
107. "Three Constitutional Court Judges and 11 Members of the Rada Took an Oath," NEWSru.ua, June 3, 2008, at http://www.newsru.ua/ukraine/ 03jun2008/protust.html (accessed November 30, 2009).
108. Presidential Decree 911/2008 of October 9, 2008, at http://www.president. gov.ua/ru/documents/ 8411.html (accessed November 30, 2009).
109. Presidential Decree 921/2008 of October 10, 2008, at http://www. president.gov.ua/ru/documents/ 8428.html (accessed November 30, 2009);
110. Presidential Decree 922/2008 of October 13, 2008, at http://www. president.gov.ua/ru/documents/8435.html (accessed November 30, 2009);
111. Presidential Decree 941/2008 of October 16, 2008, at http://www. president.gov.ua/ru/documents/ 8470.html (accessed November 30, 2009).
112. Sergey Sidorenko, "Inna Otrosh Returned to Head Pechersk Court," Kommersant-Ukraina, October 20, 2008, at http://www.kommersant.ua/ doc.html?DocID=1044669&IssueId=47035 (accessed November 30, 2009);
113. Elena Geda, "Viktor Yushchenko Persuaded to Repeal," Kommersant- Ukraina, October 22, 2008, at http://www.kommersant.ua/doc-y.html? docId=1045449&issue Id=47037 (accessed November 30, 2009).
114. Aleksandr Sviridenko, "Fighting Draw," Kommersant-Ukraina, October 28, 2008, at http:// www.kommersant.ua/doc.html?DocID= 1049149&IssueId=47042 (accessed November 30, 2009).
115. Elena Geda, "Viktor Yushchenko Is Left Without Elections," Kommersant-Ukraina, December 8, 2008, at http://www.kommersant.ua/doc-y.html? docId=1090846&issueId=47070 (accessed November 30, 2009).
116. Halya Coynash, "Political Monopoly," UNIAN, October 20, 2008, available at http://unian. net/eng/news/news-279462.html
117. D'Anieri, Understanding Ukrainian Politics.
118. "President Insists on the Immediate Consideration by the HCJ of the Issue of the Dismissals of Judges Who Violated an ath," President.gov.ua, November 27, 2007, at http://www.president. gov.ua/done-img/files/list-vru- 271101.html (accessed November 30, 2009).
119. The black list of 47 judges is available at http://president.gov.us/done- img/files/suddi-porush.rtf (accessed November 30, 2009).
120. "Ex-security chief alleges corruption in Ukrainian president's team," BBC Worldwide Monitoring October 2, 2005.
121. "Timeline of Telephone Conversations between Judges and Baloha's People," UNIAN, October 16, 2008, http://unian.net/ukr/news/news-278934. html, accessed November 30, 2009.
122. "Justice Ministry Complains of Intimidation of Judges by 'Regionals'," Ukrayinska Pravda, May 16, 2009, at http://pravda.com.ua/ news/2009/5/16/94816.htm (accessed November 30, 2009).
123. "Poltava Governor Admitted That He Used a "Right to Telephone Justice" by Phoning Judges," Obkom, September 22, 2006, at http://obkom.net.ua/news/2006-09-22/1620.shtml (accessed November 30, 2009).
124. "Pukshin Told Why He Phoned a Judge in Donetsk," RUpor.info, May 17, 2007, http://www. rupor.info/news-politika/2007/05/17/pukshin-rasskazal- zachem-zvonil-doneckomu-sude (accessed November 30, 2009).
125. Oleksandra Prymachenko, "Chynnyk Zmicnennya Zakonnosti," Dzerkalo tyzhnya, December 10-16, 2005, http://www.zn.ua/1000/1050/52034 (accessed November 30, 2009).
126. See, e.g., interview with Aza Zuevich, Chairwoman of the Luhansk Appellate Economic Court, Zakon i Biznes, July 22-27, 2006, http://ru.zib.com. ua/article/1153732527330 (accessed November 30, 2009).
127. Elena Geda, "Golos za Kadry," Kommersant-Ukraina, June 6, 2006, http://www.kommersant. ua/doc.html?DocID=683711&IssueId=35669 (accessed November 30, 2009).
128. "Suddi Yushhenka u KS zayavyly pro tysk i prosyat okhoronu," Ukrayinska Pravda, April 10, 2007 http://pravda.com.ua/news/2007/4/10/57182.htm (accessed November 30, 2009).
129. See, e.g., "V.Onopenko Believes That as of Today the Independent Judicial Branch of Government Has not Been Created," RBK-Ukraina, June 25, 2009, at http://www.rbc.ua/rus/newsline/ show/v-onopenko-schitaet-chto-na- segodnyashniy-den-ne-udalos-sozdat-nezavisimuyu- sudebnuyu-vetv-vlasti-250620090 (accessed November 30, 2009).
130. Monitoring of Judicial Independence in Ukraine. Year 2008, 55.
131. D'Anieri, Understanding Ukrainian Politics, pp. 253-254.
132. This was the basis of Kuchma's treatment of court. D'Anieri, Understanding Ukrainian Politics.
133. "Judge Ihor Zvarich: Any Judge Can Find Himself in My Place," Vesti/Versii Sobytiya, March 5, 2009, available at http://b-b-c.com.ua/exp.php? ni=925&type=1 (accessed November 30, 2009).
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