Staffing crisis in courts: almost twice as many dismissed judges as appointed

The Supreme Judicial Council submitted a proposal to the President regarding 62 candidates, but the shortage of personnel in the courts continues to grow

The personnel crisis in the judicial system of Ukraine continues to worsen. Despite the new appointments of judges, the number of dismissals significantly exceeds the number of those who come to work in the courts, which is already affecting the terms of consideration of cases and the burden on the justice system.

As reported by the High Council of Justice, during January-April 2026, the Supreme Judicial Council adopted a decision to submit a proposal to Volodymyr Zelensky for the appointment of 62 candidates for the positions of judges.

The largest number of appointments is to the courts of appeal

The largest number of candidates was recommended to the general courts of appeal. These are the appointments of:

— 10 judges to local general courts;
— 1 judge to local administrative courts;
— 38 judges to general courts of appeal;
— 8 judges to economic courts of appeal;
— 5 judges to administrative courts of appeal.

At the same time, since the beginning of 2026, the President of Ukraine has supported the proposal of the Supreme Court of Justice to appoint only 36 judges to local and appellate courts.

More judges are being dismissed than appointed

The High Council of Justice emphasizes that one of the main problems of the system remains the shortage of personnel.

Thus, in 2025, the President of Ukraine issued 87 decrees on the appointment of 143 judges. In 2026, as of May 1, there were only 28 decrees on the appointment of 36 judges. At the same time, 285 judges were dismissed from the justice system during this period.

As a result, the number of retired judges significantly exceeds the number of newly appointed, which forms a systemic shortage of personnel.

How does this affect the work of the courts

The shortage of personnel directly affects the work of the judicial system. Due to the shortage of judges, the burden on those who continue to administer justice increases, and the terms of considering cases may increase.

It has been repeatedly emphasized in the professional community that further reductions in the judicial corps may create additional risks for citizens’ access to justice and the effective operation of courts in general.