Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada Takes First Step Toward Establishing Jury Trials

In the first reading, the Verkhovna Rada (Ukraine’s legislature) approved draft legislation necessary to introduce jury trials, an important judicial reform, reported lawmakers Oleksiy Goncharenko and Yaroslav Zheleznyak.

According to Goncharenko, 232 members voted in favor of the bill to create the institution of the jury court.

“This is a step toward restoring trust in the courts and fighting corruption,” Goncharenko said.

Zheleznyak specified that two bills related to jury trials were adopted:

• 3843 – Draft Law on the Jury Court
• 3844 – Draft Law “On the Judiciary” in connection with jury trials

Draft No. 3843 was initially registered in the Verkhovna Rada in July 2020.

The explanatory note to the bill states that it aims to implement the constitutional right of citizens to participate in the administration of justice. The legislation outlines all stages of jury trial proceedings, from selecting potential jurors to reaching a verdict.

Specifically, the bill defines:

• The status of jurors, including their rights, obligations, guarantees, and compensation.
• The selection procedure includes establishing criteria for selecting candidates, compiling lists, and summoning jurors to court.
• The role of jurors in court proceedings, their interaction with professional judges, and the process of reaching a verdict.

Previous attempts to introduce jury trials in Ukraine failed due to a lack of a clear legal framework and inconsistencies between proposed legislative changes and constitutional requirements.

This new bill, having passed its first reading, aims to address those shortcomings and ensure the effective functioning of jury trials in Ukraine.