The Verkhovna Rada created new specialized administrative courts with jurisdiction over the whole of Ukraine
3 June 2025 21:38
The Verkhovna Rada has supported the creation of the Specialized District Administrative Court and the Specialized Administrative Court of Appeal, which will operate in Kyiv but have jurisdiction over the entire territory of Ukraine.
This was reported by MP from the Voice faction Yaroslav Zheleznyak, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
Draft law No. 13302, submitted by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as an urgent bill, was supported by 250 MPs. The document was also approved by the High Council of Justice. The law obliges the Cabinet of Ministers and the State Judicial Administration to organize the functioning of the newly created courts.
The explanatory note states that the new institutions are designed to improve access to justice in cases where the state is the defendant and to strengthen the protection of citizens’ rights.
What will the new courts consider
The Specialized District Administrative Court will hear cases related to appeals against decisions on the appointment of heads of ministries, anti-corruption bodies, SBI prosecutors, as well as other decisions of the central government – except for presidential decrees. Presidential decrees remain within the competence of the Supreme Court.
The Specialized Administrative Court of Appeal will act as the second instance, reviewing decisions of the district administrative court.
Liquidation of the DACK
The decision to create new specialized courts was made against the backdrop of judicial reform, in particular, after the liquidation of the scandalous Kyiv District Administrative Court (KDAC).
In April 2021, President Zelensky submitted a bill to liquidate the KDAC, stating that the court had lost public trust. He called the initiative “a signal to all courts that betray respect for the law.”
