The Appellate Chamber of the High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) has officially resumed appellate proceedings regarding the conviction of Lali Novik, a former judge of the Dnipropetrovsk District Court sentenced to five years in prison for bribery. Court hearings had previously been suspended following the defendant’s mobilization into the Armed Forces of Ukraine, but the process has now been reopened following a successful petition by the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO). The appellate hearing is scheduled for October 19, 2026, at 2:00 PM at the HACC Appellate Chamber.
The anti-corruption legal battle against the former magistrate has stretched over several years. Following the initial trial, the High Anti-Corruption Court found Novik guilty of official corruption, sentencing her to five years’ imprisonment alongside partial confiscation of her personal property. Opposing the verdict handed down on October 9, 2024, both Novik and her defense attorney filed formal appeals.
The appeal process came to a halt when the defense requested a stay of proceedings, citing Novik’s active military service under general mobilization. While the court initially granted the suspension, SAPO prosecutors ultimately challenged the pause, arguing that finalizing the appellate review remains necessary to ensure full legal accountability and procedural completion.
«The petition of the SAPO prosecutor is hereby granted. Resume proceedings on the appellate complaints of the accused and her defense council against the verdict of the High Anti-Corruption Court dated October 9, 2024. Schedule the appellate review for October 19, 2026, at 14:00,» the official court ruling states.
The criminal charges stem from an operation conducted jointly by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and SAPO. According to investigators, the former magistrate solicited and accepted a $2,500 bribe in exchange for issuing a favorable ruling in a civil law case.
Following the investigation, the Office of the Prosecutor General approved formal notice of suspicion, leading to Novik’s immediate suspension from judicial duties by the High Council of Justice. Her records were subsequently included in the official register of individuals convicted of corruption offences (EBK). The upcoming hearing will determine whether her five-year custodial sentence remains fully enforceable.