The Supreme Court’s Grand Chamber to review legality of the Lozovyi amendments on investigation terms
In February, Ukraine’s Supreme Court Grand Chamber will decide whether the automatic closure of criminal cases due to ambiguous rules on extending investigation deadlines, set by the so-called “Lozovyi amendments,” is lawful. This ruling is crucial for ensuring legal consistency and preventing unjust case dismissals.
The automatic termination of cases based on alleged violations of investigation time frames, still stipulated in Ukraine’s Criminal Procedure Code, raises significant uncertainties—particularly regarding who has authority to extend these deadlines in consolidated proceedings: the head of the prosecution body or the investigating judge. Conflicting practices have already threatened high-profile cases like “Rotterdam+” and the Dubnevych brothers’ gas case. Though appeals overturned their closure, legal confusion persists, allowing risks of accountability evasion.
The Grand Chamber is expected to establish a clear, predictable legal stance to resolve this matter. Meanwhile, the Verkhovna Rada is urged to amend the procedural code by removing the provision allowing automatic case dismissal solely due to expiration of investigation terms, thereby strengthening judicial quality in Ukraine.
