The prosecutor general of Ukraine (also procurator general of Ukraine, Ukrainian: Генеральний прокурор України, romanized: Heneralnyi prokuror Ukrainy) heads the system of official prosecution in courts known as the Office of the Prosecutor General (Ukrainian: Офіс Генерального прокурора, romanized: Ofis Heneralnoho prokurora). The prosecutor general is appointed and dismissed by the president with consent of the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament).[3] The prosecutor serves a term of office of six years[4] and may be forced to resign by a vote of no confidence in parliament.[3]
The prosecutor general is appointed to office by the president of Ukraine with the consent of the Verkhovna Rada (parliament).[6] The prosecutor is dismissed from office after serving a six-year term, or on order of the president,[6] or the prosecutor may be forced to resign following a vote of no confidence in the Verkhovna Rada.[3][6]
The powers of the office (from January 2017[4]) are to:
provide organization and leadership of pre-trial investigations;[7]
represent the state's interest in the courts, according to the law.[7]
The prosecutor general submits an annual report to the Verkhovna Rada about the legal situation in the country.
The prosecutor general creates a collegiate council consisting of the prosecutor general, their first and other deputies, the prosecutor of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea,[nb 1] and other leaders of prosecution agencies.
The prosecutor general office's General Inspectorate is an independent agency established[when?] to oversee the actions of the prosecutorial system.[11] Its goals are to modernize the Soviet-era bureaucracy, to enhance inter-agency efficiency and international cooperation, and to fight corruption.[12]
Primary Trade Union Organization of the Prosecutor General Office of Ukraine employees
Leadership
This section's factual accuracy may be compromised due to out-of-date information. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(January 2023)
After the occupation of Ukraine by Bolsheviks in June 1922, the Prosecutor's Office of the Ukrainian SSR was established.[1][14] The prosecutor general was appointed by the Ukrainian government and remained merged with the minister of justice until the 1936 Constitution of the Soviet Union came into force, at which point the republican prosecution office of Ukraine was subordinated to the prosecutor general of the USSR.
Following Ukrainian independence in 1991, the prosecutor general wielded considerable power[7] as a legacy of the Soviet Union state prosecutor's office.[7] Many of the office's functions were expanded in 1991,[7] but in 2016 the powers of the office were decreased and limited.[7]
Prior to January 2017, the term of authority of the prosecutor was five years.[4] Since January 2017 this was increased to six years.[4] This list below shows prosecutors of independent Ukraine. In the absence of the prosecutor general, the office is headed by their first deputy as the acting prosecutor general.
27 Jul 2022 - incumbent (Kostin tended in his resignation on 22 October 2024.The National Assembly approved his resignation on October 29 2024.[25][26])
^1 Makhnitskyi served as acting prosecutor by being appointed by the acting president of Ukraine. Makhnitskyi is also the only head of the office in the post-Soviet Ukraine who served as a parliamentary commissioner.
^2 Shokin was set to be formally dismissed since 16 February 2016[3][27] after submitting a letter of resignation and taking a vacation.[28] On 16 March Shokin returned to his duties as if he never submitted any letters of resignation.[29] He was formally dismissed in a parliamentary vote on 29 March 2016.[30]
^3 Yuriy Sevruk served as acting prosecutor, being the first deputy general prosecutor until the official appointment of a new Prosecutor General.[29]
