“In February, the Grand Chamber of the Supreme Court of Ukraine will determine whether it is legitimate to close criminal cases due to the ambiguous rules regarding the extension of the investigation period provided for by the so-called “Lozovoy amendments”. This decision is important for the stability of judicial practice and prevention of unjustified closure of cases. The automatic closure of cases due to the alleged violation of investigation deadlines, which is still provided for in the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine, causes”, — write on: ua.news
In February, the Grand Chamber of the Supreme Court of Ukraine will determine whether it is legitimate to close criminal cases due to the ambiguous rules regarding the extension of the investigation period provided for by the so-called “Lozovoy amendments”. This decision is important for the stability of judicial practice and prevention of unjustified closure of cases.
The automatic closure of cases due to the alleged violation of investigation deadlines, which is still provided for in the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine, causes significant disagreements, in particular, who should determine the extension of these deadlines in cases with joint proceedings: the head of the prosecutor’s office or the investigating judge. The inconsistency in this practice has already threatened high-profile cases such as “Rotterdam+” and the “gas case” of the Dubnevychs, which, although they were renewed in appeal, remain at risk due to the existing legal chaos.
It is expected that the Grand Chamber will form a clear and predictable position for the settlement of this problem, and the Verkhovna Rada should finalize the legislation by excluding from the Code of Criminal Procedure of Ukraine the rule on automatic closure of cases solely due to the investigation period, which will contribute to improving the quality of justice in Ukraine.
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