Conflict of interest in the activities of judges in Ukraine and the European Union: a comparative legal study

Abstract

The article examines certain problems of legal regulation of preventing conflicts of interest in the activities of judges in Ukraine, ways to resolve it, and foreign experience of individual EU countries in this area. The methodology of scientific work is based on a system of methods of general scientific and special legal methods of cognition. The analysis of the concept of "conflict of interest" in the scientific literature, national and international legal documents, in the legislation of individual EU countries was carried out. The definition of "conflict of interest in the activities of judges" is proposed. It is argued that the public interest in the activities of judges is the public interest in ensuring that persons working in the judicial system exercise their powers and make decisions impartially, objectively and fairly. Attention is focused on the peculiarities of the application of the system of voluntary disclosure and registration by judges of a list of private interests regarding a conflict of interest. The principles, signs, types and features of the presence or absence of a conflict of interest in the activities of judges are revealed, their content is specified. The procedure for disclosing information about a conflict of interest in the activities of judges is indicated. Two ways of resolving a conflict of interest in the activities of judges are established, their problematic issues are disclosed. The types of responsibility of judges in cases of violation of legislation on conflict of interest are determined. Separate directions for improving the legal regulation of preventing and resolving conflicts of interest in the activities of judges are proposed, taking into account the positive experience of legal regulation of individual EU countries in this area.