Grand Chamber of the Supreme Court Delivers Final Ruling
On June 18, 2025, the Grand Chamber of Ukraine’s Supreme Court rejected the lawsuit filed by Pavlo Vovk, the former head of the now-defunct Kyiv District Administrative Court (OASK). The court upheld the earlier decision by the High Council of Justice to remove him from his judicial post. Legal proceedings on Vovk’s appeal had been underway since April 2025.
Vovk had challenged the High Council of Justice’s ruling, which stemmed from a series of searches conducted by Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) on July 17, 2020, at the premises of the OASK. On that same day, NABU announced that it had served suspicion notices not only to Vovk but also to his deputy, Yevheniy Ablov, and five other judges. As the investigation progressed, authorities declassified portions of case materials concerning Zenoviy Kholodnyuk, head of the State Judicial Administration, along with Vovk and six additional judges. This case represents a significant milestone in Ukraine’s ongoing efforts to combat corruption within its judiciary.
Financial Aspects of the Case
According to available data, between 2023 and early 2025, judges of the dissolved OASK collectively received 157 million Ukrainian hryvnias in salary payments. The primary figures in this case are Pavlo Vovk, Yevheniy Ablov, and Zenoviy Kholodnyuk. Key dates in the proceedings include:
- July 17, 2020 — the day of the NABU searches;
- April 2025 — the start of the lawsuit review;
- June 18, 2025 — the Supreme Court’s Grand Chamber ruling.
The Supreme Court’s decision reinforces the stance of the High Council of Justice and highlights the proactive role of anti-corruption bodies in Ukraine. Vovk and his associates remain under investigation on serious charges that could have far-reaching implications for the country’s judicial system. This case continues to draw public attention to issues of justice and corruption within the courts, a critical topic for the development of democratic institutions in Ukraine.
The ongoing judicial reforms in Ukraine have led to significant rulings against former judiciary officials. In a related case, a former Supreme Court chief received a prison sentence for corruption-related offenses, underscoring the state's commitment to addressing corruption within the judiciary. This highlights the broader implications of the Supreme Court's recent decision regarding Pavlo Vovk and the urgent need for accountability in the legal system.