Case Under Review by the Constitutional Court of Ukraine
On September 16, 2026, the Second Chamber of Ukraine's Constitutional Court began examining a constitutional complaint filed by Ilona Zakharova. In her petition, Zakharova calls for the annulment of the second paragraph of point 12 in the "Final Provisions" section of the Law on Ukraine’s State Budget for 2024, adopted on November 9, 2023 (No. 3460–IX). The complaint centers on the 2024 amendment to the seniority bonus system for civil servants, which lowered the maximum allowance from 50% to 30% of the official salary.
Ilona Vitaliivna Zakharova is a civil servant working at the Korosten City District Court in Zhytomyr region. Since December 2019, she had been receiving a seniority bonus at 50% of her salary. However, under the 2024 State Budget Law, the seniority bonus was recalculated to 2% of the official salary per year of service, capped at 30%. Following this legislation, the Korosten City District Court issued Order No. 01/k on January 19, 2024, adjusting seniority bonuses accordingly from January 1, 2024, including reducing Zakharova’s bonus to 30% of her salary.
Ilona Zakharova’s Legal Action
Zakharova contested the changes by filing a lawsuit against the Korosten City District Court and the Territorial Office of the State Judicial Administration of Ukraine in Zhytomyr. The Zhytomyr District Administrative Court accepted her case and forwarded it to the Supreme Court to serve as a precedent. On February 19, 2026, the Supreme Court’s Grand Chamber overturned the May 30, 2025 decision of the Administrative Cassation Court and dismissed Zakharova’s claim. The presiding judge was Serhiy Riznyk.
The Constitutional Court continued its review behind closed doors. A recording of the plenary session is available on the Constitutional Court’s official website under the "Video Archive" section. Judge Serhiy Riznyk noted,
“Ilona V. Zakharova has appealed to the Constitutional Court of Ukraine to declare unconstitutional the second paragraph of point 12 in the 'Final Provisions' section of the Law on the State Budget of Ukraine for 2024.”This case holds significant implications for the future regulation of seniority bonuses within Ukraine’s civil service.
The outcome of this Constitutional Court case could have wide-reaching effects on civil servants nationwide. It will determine not only the legality of the revised bonus rules but also the stability of remuneration practices in the public sector. The Court’s decision may influence the social and economic conditions of civil servants and impact their motivation to continue public service careers.