Courts of appeal, the appellate Court of Ukraine

The courts of appeal are appellate courts in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, regions, cities of Kiev and Sevastopol, military courts of appeals of regions and the Navy, Court of Appeals of Ukraine. In case of necessity regional courts of appeal can be substituted by general courts of appeal with territorial jurisdiction in several regions. On August, 20^th, 2001, the President of Ukraine signed a Decree “On network and quantitative structure of judges at courts of appeal”, according to which the courts of appeals are created within the Supreme Court of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, regional, Kyiv and Sevastopol city courts.

The courts of appeal shall:

− examine appeals according to judicial procedures currently in force;

− examine in the first instance cases as stipulated by the legislation currently in force (except for commercial courts of appeal);

− account and analyze forensic statistics, research and summarize court practices;

− provide consultations to local courts regarding application of the legislation currently in force.

The Court of Appeals of Ukraine also has the authority to examine appeals within its jurisdiction according to the active judicial procedures.

 

High courts with specialized jurisdiction

The highest bodies of the system of specialized courts are:

− the High Arbitration Court of Ukraine,

− the High Administrative Court of Ukraine,

− the High specialized court of Ukraine for Civil and criminal cases.

There are four chambers in the High Arbitration Court:
− to review of bankruptcy cases;
− to hear cases between entities
− to hear cases arising from tax and other relations involving government regulationof business entities;
− to review of cases involving the protection of the rights to intellectual property.

Administrative cases are disposed by a single judge in court of first instance as a rule, but complex cases, or, if a side in the cause solicits the judge, there to be three judges in composition of the court. Administrative cases which are under the jurisdiction of the High Administrative Court of Ukraine as first-instance administrative court are to be disposed by the chamber composed of not less than five judges. Review of the judicial award in administrative procedure of appeal instance is to be made by the chamber composed of three judges and of cassation instance – by the chamber composed of not less than five judges.

In 2010 the Parliament of Ukraine Rada has adopted the Law of Ukraine "On the Judicial System and Status of Judges". According to this law the High specialized court of Ukraine for Civil and criminal cases is supposed to be the appellate court to review cases under the general jurisdiction.

THE SUPREME COURT OF UKRAINE

According to the Article 125 of the Constitution of Ukraine, the Supreme Court of Ukraine is the highest judicial body of general jurisdiction. It administers justice and ensures equal application of law by all general courts of Ukraine.

According to second part of Article 47 of the Law of Ukraine “On Court System”, the Superior Court of Ukraine shall:

− examine cassations regarding decisions made by general courts in cases within its jurisdiction according to the active legislation; examine second cassations in all other cases heard at the courts of general jurisdiction; in cases stipulated by the legislation in action – examine other cases under special circumstances;

− provide consultations to courts of lower level regarding application of the legislation currently in force based on the generalization and analysis of forensic statistics; if necessary, cancel the corresponding interpretations by the Plenary of the highest specialized court;

− address the Constitutional Court of Ukraine in case courts of general jurisdiction have uncertainties regarding the constitutionality of laws and other legal acts in force as well as regarding official interpretation of the Constitution of Ukraine and other legislation;

− account and analyze forensic statistics, research and summarize court practices, acquaint with the practice of application of legislation currently in force;

− make decisions within its authority regarding issues connected with international agreements of Ukraine; represent general courts of Ukraine in relations with foreign courts.

According to the legislation in force the Supreme Court of Ukraine comprises the following structure:

− Judicial Chamber on civil cases;

− Judicial Chamber on criminal cases;

− Judicial Chamber on administrative cases;

− Judicial Chamber on economic cases;

− Military Collegium;

− Presidium, Plenary;

− Council of Judges of Ukraine.

The Chairman of the Supreme Court of Ukraine is appointed and dismissed at the Plenary by means of secret ballot.

 

 

TASK 1. Answer the following questions.

1. In what way are judicial proceedings performed?

2. What is the highest judicial body of general jurisdiction?

3. What principles are the courts of general jurisdiction based on?

4. What is the structure of the court system of Ukraine?

5. What cases do different Ukrainian courts hear?

6. How many judges should hear the cases at the Cassation court of Ukraine?

7. When was the law “On Court System” passed? What was it so important?

8. What court is the trial court? What are its main functions?

9. What is the sole body of constitutional jurisdiction in Ukraine?

10. How many judgesin the Constitutional Court are appointed by the President of Ukraine?

11. What is the main task of the Constitutional Court?

12. What issues (problems) are examined in Constitutional Court?

13. What demands are foreseed to the members of Court according to the Constitution of Ukraine?

14. In what way is the Chairman of the Court elected?

 

TASK 2. Translate the following words and word combinations into English.

Судова система; апеляції; територіальний принцип; розглядати справи; суд загальної юрисдикції; вищий суд або Верховний Суд; таємне голосування; адміністративна справа; повноваження; рішення; захист.

 

TASK 3. Translate the following sentences into English.

1. Судову систему України складають суди загальної юрисдикції та Конституційний Суд України, який є єдиним органом конституційної юрисдикції. Суди загальної юрисдикції утворюють єдину систему судів, яка складається із загальних і спеціальних судів.

2. В Україні існує декілька типів судів загальної юрисдикції: апеляційні, місцеві, вищі та верховний.

3. Третейські суди не входять до судової системи України.

4. Апеляційні суди в Україні мають право розглядати скарги на рішення місцевих судів.

5. Більшість справ вперше слухаються районними міськими судами.

6. Система загальної судів складається з: районних (міських) судів (районних у містах Києві та Севастополі) та Верховного Суду України і Верховного Суду Республіки Крим (за Законом України „Про судоустрій України”).

7. Конституційний Суд України є єдиним органом конституційної юрисдикції в Україні. Конституційний Суд України не входить до системи судів загальної юрисдикції.

8. За Конституцією України від 28 червня 1996 року однією з гілок влади є судова влада.

 

 

TASK 4. Open the brackets, put the words into correct form and translate the following sentences into Ukrainian.

1. The goal of the judicial system (to be) that complete and equal justice be achieved at the trial of every case. Sometimes trial courts (to make) mistakes; the court of appeals (to be) established to correct these mistakes.

2. The courts (to be) the overseers of the law.

3. Ukraine’s judicial system (to be) inherited from that of the Soviet Union and the former Ukrainian SSR.

4. The Supreme Court (to have) the duty to oversee the activities of all courts in the state, and (to see) that justice is being administered fairly, effectively and efficiently.

5. The Supreme Court, the Constitutional Court, the courts of general jurisdiction and specialized courts (to be) the bodies of the juridical power in Ukraine.