5 April, 10:58
Yaroslav Holovachov has headed the Kyiv Court of Appeal since 2015. That’s nearly four years beyond the six-year limit set by Article 20 of Ukraine’s Law “On the Judiciary and the Status of Judges,” which regulates the maximum term for holding an administrative judicial position.
To date, no public decision by the High Council of Justice has been recorded extending his tenure.
Despite this, Holovachov continues to lead one of the most influential courts in Ukraine's capital.
Lavish Assets — Registered to Relatives
According to publicly available registries and media investigations, Holovachov's family members are listed as owners of:
6 apartments,
15 land plots in Kyiv Oblast,
2 private houses,
a fleet of luxury cars.
Independent property experts estimate the total market value of this real estate at over $3 million. Holovachov himself has stated that he lives off his official salary and that the assets were acquired through legitimate income generated by his relatives.
Financial Audit: Inefficient Spending, Dubious Repairs
In 2023, the State Audit Service of Ukraine reviewed the financial operations of the Kyiv Court of Appeal. The audit uncovered:
inefficient use of 2 million UAH (approx. $50,000) in public funds,
unsubstantiated expenditures totaling over 11 million UAH (~$275,000),
and 6 million UAH spent on renovations of premises not legally belonging to the court.
No public disciplinary or criminal proceedings against the court's leadership have been announced following the audit.
Just the Tip of the Iceberg?
Anti-corruption experts interviewed for this article point out a noticeable discrepancy between the audit findings and the scale of the property associated with Holovachov's circle.
“If you only focus on the 20 million UAH identified by auditors, it simply doesn’t add up when compared to the value of assets linked to Holovachov’s family. And assets are likely not the only form of capital here. Judges have access to decisions that can directly impact the distribution of millions,” said an analyst at the Anti-Corruption Center (who asked to remain anonymous).
This raises a broader, pressing question:
How much do Ukrainian judges really earn?
Not officially — official salaries range from $3,000 to $5,000 per month — but in practical, off-the-books terms?
Could it be millions of dollars per year? Or, perhaps, per month?
With no systemic post-appointment financial monitoring in place, these questions remain largely unanswered by the state. For now, investigative journalists are the ones filling in the gaps.
Neither Holovachov nor the High Council of Justice has issued a public statement on the legality of his continued term in office or on the origin of the family’s assets. Until that changes, questions about legality, transparency, and accountability within Ukraine’s top judiciary remain open.