Judge recuses himself at court session on Lower Lavra
Court hearings will continue after the appointment of a new judge.
On October 20, 2025, a regular court session was held in the Northern Commercial Court of Appeal regarding the use of the Lower Lavra, reports the lawyer of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, Archpriest Nikita Chekman.
"One of the members of the panel of judges was challenged by the Monastery's lawyers due to his biased position towards the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, during which the said judge recused himself," the lawyer reported.
In this regard, the court will carry out an automatic case reassignment, and a new panel of judges will be appointed.
As a reminder, two parallel court cases related to the Lavra are currently underway: one concerning the right to use the Dormition and Refectory Churches of the Upper Lavra, and the other regarding the eviction of monks from the Lower Lavra.
Earlier, the UOJ reported that on October 20, a court session will be held on the termination of the contract with the Lavra.
