Auto-distribution in a new way: what has changed in the work of courts since April 1, 2025

On April 1, 2025, new rules for automated distribution of court cases came into force in Ukraine. They are based on the new version of the Regulation on the Automated Court Document Management System (ACMS), approved by the Council of Judges of Ukraine on November 11, 2024 and approved by the State Judicial Administration in December of the same year.

What is ASDS?

The ACDS is a system responsible for assigning cases to judges. The goal is to ensure transparency, impartiality and technical accuracy without human error.

Main changes:

1. New rules for the distribution of cases:

The system takes into account judges’ vacations:

• 14 days before the start of a long vacation (14+ days), cases are not assigned;
• 3 days before a vacation of 5-13 days;
• 1 day before a short vacation or business trip.

2. Returned cases:

A clear algorithm for the distribution of cases returned for revision has been established, which should reduce delays in their consideration.

3. Powers of the assembly of judges:

By April 1, 2025, the courts had to approve their own rules for using the system. These rules are to be published on the judiciary portal.

4. Exceptions can be made only by a decision of the meeting of judges:

If there is a need to deviate from the standard distribution, the decision must be made by a meeting of judges of the relevant court. Automation reduces the risk of bias. It increases trust in justice, makes the process more fair and predictable.

What else is important to know: updates on criminal proceedings

On March 26, 2025, the Council of Judges of Ukraine considered amendments to the unified version of the Regulation on the SJA. In particular, it was about subparagraph 2.3.39.6, which provides that appeals against decisions of investigating judges of the first instance within one criminal proceeding (under the URPTI number) will automatically be submitted to the already determined judge-reporter.

However, to ensure greater flexibility, it was proposed to supplement the provision with a reservation: “unless otherwise determined by the meeting of judges”. This gives the trial courts more room to distribute the workload evenly and meet the deadlines set by the CPC.

As a result, the Council of Judges decided to amend the Regulations accordingly. They will come into force after approval by the State Judicial Administration, but not earlier than April 1, 2025.

Why is it important for citizens?

The new rules are intended to make the judicial process more transparent and fair. When cases are distributed automatically, without human intervention, it minimizes the risk of bias or “accidental” assignment of a case to the “right” judge. This means that trust in the judicial system grows.

The updated CJS is another step towards European standards of justice, where impartiality, openness and clear procedure are the basis. And although these changes mostly concern the internal organization of judicial work, they actually affect the quality of justice that each of us receives.