Reforms in the judiciary of Ukraine: domestic practices and the EU’s policy instruments

The decline of judicial independence in Ukraine has continued at a higher pace during the Presidency of Viktor Yanukovych in spite of the reforms introduced in 2010 and the sustained involvement of international actors. Taking the EU's involvement as a case in point, this article argues that support for judicial reforms aimed at enhancing the independence of the judiciary did not comprehensively address the sociological roots of clientelism that have traditionally characterised the judiciary field in Ukraine and paradoxically reinforced the executive branch. This article analyses this phenomenon from the perspective of Bourdieu's theory of practices and through the prism of policy tools promoted by the EU within the framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy.