In August 2025, the overall progress assessment in this area became negative for the first time, at -0.27. This indicates that judicial reform is moving by inertia and that a rollback of reforms has begun. No significant reforms within the rule of law framework are currently being implemented.

A positive development in August was the appointment of Ihor Kushnir as a member of the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine. Considering the importance of the qualification assessment of judges and the selection of candidates for local and appellate courts, the capacity of the HQCJ is crucial. Another positive event was the formation of a new composition of the Public Integrity Council, which will work together with the HQCJ to assess the integrity of judges as part of the qualification evaluation and the selection of judges to appellate courts.