26 March 2025
(Photo: Law and Business)
Natalia Anisimova, a judge of the Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi City District Court of Odesa Oblast, refused to undergo a qualification test and lost her position.
The decision to dismiss her was made by the High Council of Justice during a meeting.
The reason for the dismissal was the judge's refusal to undergo the qualification assessment required to confirm her suitability for the position. This is provided for in the Transitional Provisions of the Constitution of Ukraine and is regulated by the recommendation of the High Qualification Commission of Judges.
According to the law, all judges who were appointed to their positions prior to the judicial reform must undergo an assessment of their compliance with professional criteria. Refusal to undergo such an assessment automatically becomes grounds for dismissal.
Thus, the decision of the High Council of Justice is in line with the Constitution and is a consequence of the reform of the judicial system in Ukraine.
Anisimova's declaration for 2024 contains rather modest assets for a representative of the judiciary.
According to the document, the judge owns three apartments (two in Donetsk and one in Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi), as well as a land plot and a country house in Donetsk region.
The first apartment was purchased in 1997 in Donetsk. Its total area is 69.7 square meters. At the time of purchase, it was valued at UAH 11,833. Natalia Anisimova is the owner of this apartment.
The second apartment is also located in Donetsk, with a total area of 50.7 square meters. The judge became its owner in 2006. At the time of ownership, the apartment cost 148,975 UAH.
In addition, in 2016, Anisimova leased another apartment in Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, Odesa Oblast. The apartment has an area of 35 square meters and belongs to a citizen Oksana Voronkova.
The declaration also indicates that the judge owns a 1,255-square-meter land plot in the village of Avdiivske, Pokrovsk district, Donetsk region. The plot was purchased in 2008 for UAH 3,009.
In addition, in the same village, she owns a garden (country) house with a total area of 84.2 square meters, which she purchased together with the land plot in 2008 for UAH 47,695.
Natalia Anisimova has no cars, valuable movable property, securities or corporate rights. In 2024, the judge received UAH 1 million 383 thousand 928 in salary. There are no monetary assets in banks, financial liabilities or intangible assets in the declaration.
In October 2017, the SBU notified the judge of the Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi City District Court of suspicion of creating a terrorist group, fraud and forgery.
According to the investigation, in 2015-2016, the judge, together with members of the DNR terrorist organization, forged decisions of the Kirovskyi District Court of Donetsk, illegally re-registering apartments in the occupied territory. She kept the court's seal and the data of the property owners, which allowed her to register the property in the names of fictitious persons, after which it was disposed of by the militants. Anisimova previously worked in a court in the occupied territory and later moved to Odesa region, where she received a new position.
On March 6, the High Council of Justice dismissed Yaroslava Balan, who worked at the Odesa District Administrative Court. The HCJ also accepted the resignation of another judge.
In addition, the Disciplinary Chamber demanded the dismissal of judge Lyudmyla Saltan of the Kyiv District Court of Odesa, who was removed from the bench for extortion.
Ірина Глухова