This analytical note is part of a series of reviews of the non-military budget-2026 and is dedicated to the efficiency of expenditures on courts, the prosecutor’s office, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the penitentiary system. Due to the combination of civilian and military functions, funding for this sector increased nearly 17 times during the full-scale invasion. However, the “civilian” component needs optimisation, as the rule of law remains important for economic prosperity and EU accession.
Judiciary
Real expenditures on the judiciary for the years 2021–2024 decreased by 17%, despite a nominal increase in the budget. The burden on the system has significantly increased, including a 40% rise in the number of cases per 100,000 population, while the number of judges has decreased. This has led to a reduction in the real costs of handling a single case by more than a third.
We recommend reducing the workload by developing alternative dispute resolution (ADR) for minor cases and completing the implementation of the Unified Judicial Information and Telecommunication System (UJITS).
Prosecutor’s Office
The funding for the prosecutor’s office is stable, but 90% of the budget goes to salaries, leaving little resources for development and digitalisation. A similar situation exists in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, where real expenditures per employee have not changed, but the staff has increased by 19% while simultaneously reducing the recruitment of cadets.
We recommend implementing regular expenditure reviews according to OECD standards instead of mechanical staff reductions, to justify needs and optimise the cost structure.
Penitentiary service
Penitentiary Service The cost of maintaining one inmate in the penitentiary system in 2026 will amount to nearly 20,000 UAH per month, which is approximately equivalent to the average salary in the country. Despite such expenses, the conditions of detention remain unsatisfactory. The full-scale invasion has created additional burdens related to the re-equipping of colonies for prisoners of war and the expansion of probation functions for veterans.
We recommend conducting the audit of institutions to determine the reasons for the imbalance between the cost of maintenance and the inadequate conditions, as well as expanding the application of probation and alternative forms of punishment.
The research is prepared with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation.
