The Judicial Process in the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church

Although we call Christianity the religion of Love, after the Fall, for man the struggle against temptations and unworthy behavior became more difficult. Christ Himself gave authority to the Church community to resolve disputes among members (cf. Matt. 18: 15–18). During the first centuries, the Church developed within the Roman Empire where so-called “Roman law” functioned at the highest level. The Church used this system of laws as the basis for the Code of Canon Law that, in turn, was enriched and expanded by the Eastern Churches.

Currently, the judicial process on the territory of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church can be divided into three types:

1. Tribunal of the Church of the Major Archbishop;
   
   
2. Metropolia tribunals;
   
   
3. Eparchial tribunals.

According to the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches (CCEC), the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC, while retaining the competence of the Apostolic See, is the highest tribunal within the territory of our Church. Disputed cases of eparchies or of bishops, including titular bishops, belong to this tribunal. From among the bishops, the Synod elects the general moderator for the administration of justice who, together with two elected bishops constitutes the tribunal. The general moderator for the administration of justice has, among other matters, the right to supervise all tribunals within the territory of our Church (cf. Canon 1062 CCEC).

Currently, the general moderator for the administration of justice is Bishop Ihor Wozniak, Archbishop and Metropolitan of Lviv.

The Major Archbishop must form a Tribunal of the Major Archbishop, distinct from the tribunal of the eparchy of the Major Archbishop. This tribunal is the appellate tribunal in second and further instances for cases already judged in lower tribunals, as well as in the first and succeeding instances in the cases of exarchs and delegates of the Major Archbishop who are not bishops, natural or juridical persons immediately subject to the Major Archbishop, institutes of consecrated life of pontifical right; superiors of institutes of consecrated life of pontifical right, who do not have a superior within the same institute who possesses judicial power, natural or juridical persons of the same institute of consecrated life — with the exception of secular institutes — in which the superiors who possess the authority of administration, if in their typikon, constitution or statutes it is not defined before which judge or tribunal the dispute should be resolved (cf. Canon 1063 CCEC and Canon 133 CPL UGCC).

The Metropolia’s tribunal is not distinct from the tribunal of the eparchy of the Metropolitan and is the appellate tribunal of the judgments of the eparchial tribunals of the suffragan eparchies of the Metropolia, as well as the tribunal of the first instance for the eparchy of the Metropolitan. (cf. Canon 1064 of the CCEC).

Today, we have four Metropolitan tribunals in Ukraine: the tribunal of the Metropolia of Kyiv-Halych, the tribunal of the Metropolia of Lviv, the tribunal of the Metropolia of Ivano-Frankivsk, and the tribunal of the Metropolia of Ternopil-Zboriv.

The eparchial bishop is the judge of first instance in each eparchy and for all cases not expressly excluded by law. The eparchial bishop is bound to appoint a judicial vicar with ordinary judicial power, as well as appoint eparchial judges (cf. Canons 1066, 1086, 1087 of the CCEC).

Chair

The current chair of the Ordinary Tribunal of the Major Archbishop of the UGCC is Rev. Dr. Roman Shafran.

Judges

Rev. Dr. Roman Shafran
Rev. Vitaly Tokar
Rev. Roman Ivantsiv
Rev. Petro Pavlishche
Rev. Vasyl Koval
Rev. Stepan Balahura
Rev. Roman Dziubak
Rev. Roman Dutchak
Rev. Ivan Liubinsky
Rev. Vitalii Fedun

Attorneys

Rev. Bronislav Hrynyshyn
Rev. Mykola Dzhudzhora
Rev. Oleh Kaskiv
Rev. Roman Dziubak
Rev. Yuriy Lukachyk
Rev. Mykhailo Dymyd
Rev. Ivan Liubinskyi

Promoter of Justice

Rev. Oleh Khortyk

Defenders of the Bond

Rev. Ivan Medvid
Rev. Ihor Demkiv
Rev. Mykola Dzhuzhora

Notaries

Rev. Andriy Dzhyhaliuk
Rev. Peter Protsiv
Rev. Roman Terekhovskyi

Contact Information