BCU selected candidates for membership of the Competition Commission for the selection of members of the HQCJ

In accordance with Article 95-1 of the Law of Ukraine «On the judicial system and status of judges», the Bar Council of Ukraine proposed three candidates to the High Council of Justice for consideration as members of the Competition Commission to conduct a competition for the position of member of the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine under the BCU quota.

The relevant decision was adopted during an extraordinary meeting of the BCU on August 12.

We remind you that the Competition Commission (CC) is an auxiliary body of the High Council of Justice, formed to conduct a competition for the position of member of the HQCJ and to form a list of candidates for the position of member of the HQCJ. The HQJ appoints CC members from among persons proposed by CC formation entities. One such entity is the Bar Council of Ukraine.

Each entity proposes at least two candidates for the Competition Commission to the HQJ for consideration or agrees on a joint list of candidates. Candidates must be proposed within twenty days of the publication of the announcement of the start of their selection (the relevant announcement appeared on the HQJ website on July 24).

On July 25, the BCU decided to nominate candidates, the acceptance of documents was begun, and a special working group was created.

As a result of its work, it was established that the UNBA had received applications and documents from three advocates: Oksana Kadenko, Hanna Kolesnik and Oleksiy Shevchuk, who may be proposed to the High Council of Justice as candidates for the CC.

During the BCU meeting on August 12, Valentin Gvozdiy, the head of the special working group, Vice President of the UNBA, BCU reported on the conclusions regarding the compliance of the documents submitted by the candidates with requirements of the Methodology for assessing the suitability of candidates for the position of member of the Competition Commission, approved by the decision of the High Council of Justice No. 1542/0/15-25 of 22 July 2025 and the decision of the BCU No. 78 of 25 July 2025.

He also provided information on each of the candidates.

O. Kadenko has over 20 years of experience as a lawyer and extensive experience in legal work, scientific activity (Doctor of philosophy in law), public and political activities (member of the Khmelnytsky regional council of the eighth convocation, member of the Supervisory board at the Coordination center for the Provision of Legal Aid, head of a separate division of the civil organization State Protection in the Khmelnytsky region). She is a representative of Khmelnytsky region lawyers in the Bar Council of Ukraine, chairman of the UNBA Committee on FLA, deputy chairman of the UNBA Committee on anti-corruption policy and compliance. She has been awarded numerous state awards, including the honorary title of Honored lawyer of Ukraine.

H. Kolesnyk has been practicing law since 2012, actively promotes the development of advocacy, is the chairman of the UNBA Committee on human rights protection, and is currently acting as the chairman of the Bar Council of Kyiv. She is actively involved in public activities, is the founder of the All-Ukrainian public organization «Association of lawyers providing Free Legal Aid», was a member of the Public control council of the State bureau of investigations, was elected to the working group on the implementation of a pilot project on restorative justice for minors, and is a member of the Steering Committee of the Council of Europe Project «Development of social human rights as a key factor for sustainable democracy in Ukraine».

O. Shevchuk has been practicing law since 2010, is a speaker of the UNBA and chairman of the UNBA Committee on information policy and interaction with the media. He is actively involved in public activities, including as a member of the board of the Ukrainian national Committee of the International Chamber of Commerce, head of the Coordination Center for humanitarian aid of the Lviv regional military administration, and maintains a public reception office in the Obolon district of Kyiv at his own expense to protect the rights and interests of Obolon residents.

All candidates actively promote the development of advocacy, constantly improve their professional level, have no arrears in the payment of annual contributions to ensure the implementation of advocacy self-government, have high moral and business qualities, have not been brought to disciplinary responsibility, and have been repeatedly awarded by the UNBA.

V. Gvozdiy reported that, according to the conclusion of a special working group, the advocates have an impeccable business reputation, high professional qualities, public authority, and meet the criterion of integrity, and therefore can be proposed by the BCU to the High Council of Justice for consideration as candidates for the CC under the BCU quota.

«I will be very grateful to everyone for their trust in choosing me as a candidate. This is really very important and responsible work, - commented H. Kolesnik on her nomination. - I understand the responsibility that will be placed on the competition commission, because selecting worthy members (those who will evaluate the actual work of judges) is very complex and difficult. But I am ready to take on this work and will make every effort to justify your trust».

O. Kadenko said that when submitting her documents, she proceeded from the assumption that the advocacy must be represented in the selection committee. «I am ready to work within the paradigm that we have been working with for many years, defending not only the interests of the advocacy, but also the principles of justice and legality in the formation of the judiciary through the members of the High Qualification Commission of Judges», - the advocate assured.

«Today, it is very important for me to move towards representing our bar in such important institutions, - said O. Shevchuk. - It is an honor. Thank you for your trust. I will move forward only with the advocacy».

Following the discussion, the Bar Council of Ukraine, guided by Article 55 of the Law «On advocacy and the practice of law», Article 95-1 and paragraph 54 of Section XII «Final and transitional provisions» of the Law «On the judicial system and status of judges», decided to propose to the High Council of Justice the advocates O. Kadenko, H. Kolesnyk and O. Shevchuk as candidates for the Competition Commission to conduct a competition for the position of member of the High Qualification Commission of Judges under the BCU quota.