In February of this year, Stanislav Shevchuk was elected the new Chairman of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine (CCU) at one of its sessions. Position of CCU Chairman has been vacant since 20 March 2017. This is when Yurii Baulin's term has run out. On several occasions, elections of a new chairman were disrupted. In December 2017, they did not take place due to the lack of candidates.

The responsibility of CCU Chairman, besides swearing in the newly elected president, is to organise the regular work of the Constitutional Court. We also expect the pressure on the new chairman to mount after the appointment of two new CCU judges on the president's quota and the election of two more judges on the Verkhovna Rada's quota.

Pressure on the CCU is possible in connection with examination for constitutionality of a number of important laws and bills that cause heated discussions among politicians and in the society. Among them — laws "On the National Referendum", "On the

Principles of State Language Policy" and "On the Condemnation of the Communist and National Socialist (Nazi) Totalitarian Regimes in Ukraine, and Prohibition of Propaganda of Their Symbols", bills on the removal of MPs' inviolability. However, there is not just hope, but confidence that CCU will handle it.