Prosecutors will be booked because of one thing: they report risks
1 February 07:21
EXCLUSIVE
Changes to the reservation system for prosecutors have caused a wave of discussion in legal circles. Prosecutors told [Kommersant] about the risks of the new approach, according to which only 50% of prosecutors will be subject to mobilization reservations, whereas previously this norm applied to all prosecutors without exception.
The final decision on whom to reserve will be made by the leadership of each individual prosecutor’s office – district, city or regional prosecutor’s office. The only exception is the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO), whose employees will be 100% booked.
“There are risks of abuse”
The prosecutors with whom our editorial board spoke are concerned about the new approach. They believe that such selectivity could lead to abuse by territorial recruitment centers (TCCs), especially in cases where prosecutors are investigating crimes involving TCC representatives themselves.
“We are really afraid that TCCs may influence the booking decisions in order to eliminate prosecutors inconvenient for them,” said one of the interlocutors.
There is also a risk that the reservation may be used as a mechanism of pressure on prosecutors in specific criminal proceedings. This could affect the impartiality and independence of investigative bodies.
What experts say
Pavlo Bogutskyi, Military Prosecutor of the Western Region of Ukraine (2011), Southern Region of Ukraine (2014-2015), in an interview with Ukrinform, said that this approach “is wrong in essence.” He emphasized that an even distribution of human resources is critical to ensure the effective work of the prosecutor’s office.
“The well-known legislative approach of reserving 50% of prosecutors is essentially wrong in relation to defense prosecutors. Despite the comments on this issue, the legislator did not take into account the provisions related to ensuring the activities of the security and defense sector in general during the special period,” the lawyer added.
What’s next?
The new booking procedure may have far-reaching consequences for both the prosecutor’s office itself and justice in general. Time will tell whether this mechanism will be objective and fair. At the same time, the legal community calls on the government to engage in a dialogue to minimize possible risks and make the booking system more transparent.
