Article title Supreme Court: Powers of the Grand Chamber and the Civil Court of Cassation for Ensuring the Cohesion of Court Practice
Authors

   

Name of magazine Legal journal «Law of Ukraine» (Ukrainian version)
Issue 10/2018
Сторінки [86-101]
DOI 10.33498/louu-2018-10-086
Annotation

The procedure ensuring the unity of court practice, namely proceedings in a case by the chamber, the joint chamber of the cassation court or the Grand Chamber of the Supreme Court (GC SC) is of major importance among the numerous novels of the Code of Civil Procedure of Ukraine (CCP of Ukraine). Mostly according to it proceedings are conducted in the cases which are submitted to the cassation courts within the framework of the Supreme Court (SC) and which form the court practice. At the same time, after the new Supreme Court has been established, the court practice is being developed not from scratch, which means that judges may not bypass the legal positions expressed by the Supreme Court of Ukraine (SCU), since according to Article 3607 of the CCP of Ukraine of 2004, the opinion of the Supreme Court of Ukraine on the application of the provisions of law should be taken into account by other courts of general jurisdiction when they use such provisions of law. In this regard, cl. 7 of the Transitional Provisions of the new CCP of Ukraine prescribes that a court conducting cassation proceedings in a case by the panel of judges or the chamber (joint chamber) shall refer the case to the Grand Chamber of the Supreme Court, if such a panel or chamber (joint chamber) deems it necessary to vary from the opinion on the application of the provision of law in similar legal relations set forth in an earlier decision of the Supreme Court of Ukraine. It is not an imperfection of procedural rules that the legislator has granted such a right only to the court of cassation, but rather a mechanism meant to ensure the unity of court practice with a view to turning the positions of court into its reliable “pillars” and sources contributing to predictability of adjudication of certain categories of cases. This is only one form of ensuring the unity of court practice and the exercise of procedural powers by the Civil Court of Cassation within the Supreme Court (CCC SC) and GC SC. Irrespective that GC SC and CCC SC are the component parts of the Supreme Court, GC SC has no authority to review or otherwise interfere with the operation of cassation courts comprising the SC. Moreover, the provisions of the CCP of Ukraine also prescribe other mechanisms of binding procedural interaction of these judicial bodies within the SC with a view to ensuring the unity of court practice. The purpose of the article is to analyze the procedural powers of GC SC and CCC SC which are meant to ensure the unity of court practice, and also to identify the areas of concern and the ways of resolving thereof.

Keywords Верховний Суд; Велика Палата; цивільне судочинство; касаційне провадження; процесуальні повноваження; судова практика; єдність судової практики
References

REFERENCES
List of legal documents
Legislation
1. Pro ipoteku [On Mortgage]: Zakon Ukrainy [the Law of Ukraine] vid 5 chervnia 2003 r.
№ 898-IV. URL: http://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/898-15 (accessed: 12.09.2018)
(in Ukrainian).
2. Pro zakhyst prav spozhyvachiv [On Consumer Rights Protection]: Zakon Ukrainy
[the Law of Ukraine] vid 12 travnia 1991 r. № 1023-XII. URL: http://zakon.rada.gov.ua/
laws/show/1023-12 (accessed: 12.09.2018) (in Ukrainian).
3. Tsyvilnyi kodeks Ukrainy [The Civil Code of Ukraine]: Zakon Ukrainy [the Law
of Ukraine] vid 16 sichnia 2003 r. № 435-IV. URL: http://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/
show/435-15 (accessed: 12.09.2018) (in Ukrainian).
4. Tsyvilnyi protsesualnyi kodeks Ukrainy [The Code of Civil Procedure of Ukraine]:
(v redaktsii Zakonu Ukrainy vid 3 zovtnia 2017 r. № 2147-VIII). URL: http://zakon.
rada.gov.ua/laws/show/1618-15 (accessed: 01.09.2018) (in Ukrainian).
Cases
5. Beian v. Romania (no. 1), no. 30658/05, § 34-40. URL: http://hudoc.echr.coe.int/
eng?i=001-83822 (accessed: 12.09.2018) (in English).
6. Tudor Tudor v. Romania: Court Judgment. 24.03.2009. Арр. 21911/03. URL:
http://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng?i=001-91885 (accessed: 12.09.2018) (in English).
7. Postanova Velykoi Palaty Verkhovnoho Sudu [Decree of the Grand Chamber of the
Supreme Court] vid 4 lypnia 2018 r. № 653/1096/16-ts. URL: http://www.reyestr.court.
gov.ua/Review/75296538 (accessed: 12.09.2018) (in Ukrainian).
8. Postanova Velykoi Palaty Verkhovnoho Sudu [Decree of the Grand Chamber of the
Supreme Court] vid 13 bereznia 2018 r. № 415/2542/15-ts. URL: http://www.reyestr.
court.gov.ua/Review/73219876 (accessed: 12.09.2018) (in Ukrainian).
9. Postanova Velykoi Palaty Verkhovnoho Sudu vid 17 kvitnia 2018 r. № 200/11343/14-ts.
URL: http://www.reyestr.court.gov.ua/Review/74963810 (accessed: 12.09.2018)
(in Ukrainian).
10. Postanova Velykoi Palaty Verkhovnoho Sudu [Decree of the Grand Chamber of the
Supreme Court] vid 21 bereznia 2018 r. № 761/24881/16-ts. URL: http://www.reyestr.
court.gov.ua/Review/73054749 (accessed: 12.09.2018) (in Ukrainian).
11. Postanova Velykoi Palaty Verkhovnoho Sudu [Decree of the Grand Chamber of the
Supreme Court] vid 21 bereznia 2018 r. № 235/3619/15-ts. URL: http://www.reyestr.
court.gov.ua/Review/73500804 (accessed: 12.09.2018) (in Ukrainian).
12. Postanova Velykoi Palaty Verkhovnoho Sudu [Decree of the Grand Chamber of the
Supreme Court] vid 28 bereznia 2018 r. № 444/9519/12. URL: http://www.reyestr.court.
gov.ua/Review/74838904 (accessed: 12.09.2018) (in Ukrainian).

13. Postanova Velykoi Palaty Verkhovnoho Sudu [Decree of the Grand Chamber of the
Supreme Court] vid 30 travnia 2018 r. № 750/8676/15-ts. URL: http://www.reyestr.
court.gov.ua/Review/74537186 (accessed: 12.09.2018) (in Ukrainian).
14. Postanova Velykoyi Palaty Verkhovnoho Sudu [Decree of the Grand Chamber of the
Supreme Court] vid 16 travnya 2018 r. u spravi № 320/8269/15-ts. URL: http://www.
reyestr.court.gov.ua/Review/74506060 (accessed: 12.09.2018) (in Ukrainian).
15. Pro deiaki pytannia praktyky zastosuvannia pozovnoi davnosti u vyrishenni
hospodarskykh sporiv [On Some Issues of the Practice of Applying the Limitation Period
in the Settlement of Commercial Disputes]: Postanova Vyshchoho hospodarskoho
sudu [Resolution of the Supreme Economic Court] vid 29 travnia 2013 r. № 10. URL:
http://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/v0010600-13 (accessed: 12.09.2018) (in Ukrainian).
16. Pro praktyku zastosuvannia sudamy zakonodavstva pry vyrishenni sporiv, shcho
vynykaiut iz kredytnykh pravovidnosyn [On the Practice of Legislation Application
by Courts for Adjudication of Disputes Ensuing from Legal Relations Involving Loans]:
Postanova Vyshchoho spetsializovanoho sudu Ukrainy z rozghliadu tsyvilnykh i
kryminalnykh sprav [Decree of the High Specialized Court of Ukraine for Civil and
Criminal Cases] vid 30 bereznia 2012 r. № 5. URL: http://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/
v0005740-12 (accessed: 12.09.2018) (in Ukrainian).
17. Pro sudovu praktyku v spravakh pro zakhyst prava vlasnosti ta inshykh rechovykh
prav [On Judicial Practice in Matters Concerning the Protection of Property Rights
and Other Substantive Rights]: postanova Vyshchoho spetsializovanoho sudu Ukrainy
z rozghliadu tsyvilnykh i kryminalnykh sprav [Decree of the High Specialized Court of
Ukraine for Civil and Criminal Cases] vid 7 liutogo 2014 r. № 5. URL: http://zakon.rada.
gov.ua/laws/show/v0005740-14 (accessed: 12.09.2018) (in Ukrainian).
18. Pro zastosuvannia sudamy zakonodavstva pro sudovi vytraty u tsyvilnykh spravakh
[On the Application by Courts of Legislation on Court Costs in Civil Matters]: postanova
Vyshchoho spetsializovanoho sudu Ukrainy z rozghliadu tsyvilnykh i kryminalnykh
sprav [Decree of the High Specialized Court of Ukraine for Civil and Criminal Cases]
vid 17 zovtnia 2014 r. № 10. URL: http://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/v0010740-14
(accessed: 12.09.2018) (in Ukrainian).
19. Ukhvala Kasatsiinoho tsyvilnoho sudu u skladi Verkhovnoho Sudu [Ruling of
the Civil Court of Cassation Within the Supreme Court] vid 25 sichnia 2018 r.
№ 235/3619/15-ts. URL: http://www.reyestr.court.gov.ua/Review/71828862 (accessed:
01.11.2018) (in Ukrainian).
Bibliography
Edited books
20. Holubieva N (red), Tsyvilne protsesualne pravo Ukrainy: navchalnyi posibnyk [Civil
Procedure Law of Ukraine: Teaching Manual] (2018) (in Ukrainian).
21. Komarov V, ‘Tsyvilnyi protsesualnyu kodeks ta Kodeks administratyvnoho
sudochynstva: problema yednosti ta vidminnostei u aspekti modeli administratyvnoi
yustytsii’ [The Code of Civil Procedure and the Code of Administrative Court
Procedure] v V Komarov (red), Problemy teorii ta praktyky tsyvilnoho sudochynstva [the
Issue of Unity and Differences in Terms of the Administrative Justice Model] (Kharkiv
yurydychnyi 2008) (in Ukrainian).
Journal articles
22. Onishchuk M, ‘Zminam do Konstytutsii shchodo pravosuddia dva roky: pershi tezovi
vysnovky ta nevyrisheni zavdannia’ [‘Two Years after Amendments to the Constitution
Regarding Justice: First Thesis Conclusions and Outstanding Issues’] [2018] 39(1212)
Yurydychnyi visnyk Ukrainy 4 (in Ukrainian).

23. Siryi M, ‘Zabezpechennia yednosti sudovoi praktyky – vazhlyvyi napriamok rozvytku
pravovoi systemy Ukrainy’ [‘Ensuring the Unity of Court Practice – an Important
Objective for Development of the Legal System of Ukraine’] (2006) 6 Visnyk Tsentru
suddivskykh studii 6-8 (in Ukrainian).
Newspapers
24. Luspenyk D, ‘Novelizatsiia tsyvilnoho protsesu pozytyvno vplynula na sudovu
praktyku’ [‘Novelization of the Civil Process Had a Positive Impact on the Court
Practice’] (Sudovo-iurydychna hazeta, 3 veresnia 2018) <https://sud.ua/ru/news/
publication/124587-novelizatsiya-tsivilnogo-protsesu-pozitivno-vplinula-na-sudovupraktiku>
accessed 12 September 2018 (in Ukrainian).
25. Luspenyk D, ‘Vidstuplennia vid pravovykh vysnovkiv VSU: analiz sudovoi praktyky
u tsyvilnykh spravakh’ [‘Departure from Legal Opinions of the SCU: an Analysis of
Court Practice in Civil Cases’] (Sudovo-iurydychna hazeta, 29 serpen 2018) <https://sud.
ua/ru/news/blog/124264-vidstuplennya-vid-pravovikh-visnovkiv-vsu-analiz-sudovoyipraktiki-
u-tsivilnikh-spravakh-586a73> accessed 12 September 2018 (in Ukrainian).
26. Tuieva O, ‘Vykliuchna pravova problema yak pidstava dlia peredachi spravy Velykii
Palati VS’ [‘Exclusive Legal Problem as the Ground for Case Referral to the Grand
Chamber of the Supreme Court’] (Sudovo-iurydychna hazeta, 6 veresen 2018) <https://
sud.ua/ru/news/publication/124828-isklyuchitelnaya-pravovaya-problema-kakosnovanie-
dlya-peredachi-dela-v-bolshuyu-palatu-vs> accessed 12 September 2018
(in Ukrainian).
27. Urkevych V, ‘Hospodarski spravy na rozghliadi Velykoi Palaty Verkhovnoho Sudu:
pidstavy dlia peredachi’ [‘Economic Cases before the Grand Chamber of the Supreme
Court: Grounds for Referral’] (Sudovo-iurydychna hazeta, 24 veresen 2018) <https://sud.
ua/ru/news/blog/125685-gospodarski-spravi-na-rozglyadi-velikoyi-palati-verkhovnogosudu-
pidstavi-dlya-peredachi> accessed 1 November 2018 (in Ukrainian).
28. Zozulia N, ‘Pravovi pozytsii Verkhovnoho Sudu yak osnova stalosti ta yednosti sudovoi
praktyky’ [‘Legal Positions of the Supreme Court as the Basis of Sustainability and
Unity of Court Practice’] (Ukrainske pravo) <http://ukrainepravo.com/scientificthought/
legal_analyst/pravovi-pozitsii-verkhovnogo-sudu-yak-osnova-stalosti-tadnosti-
sudovoi-praktiki-> accessed 12 September 2018 (in Ukrainian).

Electronic version Download