The trial in the case of the Upper Lavra in Kyiv has been postponed again: lawyers intend to recuse judges

Consideration of the appeal in the case of the right to use the temples of the Upper Lavra in the Northern Economic Court of Appeal of Kyiv has been postponed once again. The next hearing is scheduled for April 2, 2026, at 15:00 after the monastery’s defense received legal grounds to challenge the panel of judges. This is reported by the Fortress Lavra Telegram channel.

During the court hearing, which took place on March 19, 2026, the monastery’s lawyers filed a number of motions to involve third parties who did not participate in the trial. In particular, the defense asked to involve one of the hieromonks of the monastery in the case, but the judges rejected this request. Representatives of the National Reserve opposed the participation of new persons and urged the court to dismiss the relevant petitions.

The decision to postpone the hearings was made after the defense learned new facts that allowed them to request the recusal of the judges. In this regard, the defense lawyers asked the panel to take a break. As a reminder, the litigation over the right of the brethren to use the Assumption and Refectory churches has been going on since 2023, remaining one of the most high-profile cases in the church law sphere of Ukraine.

Earlier, we reported that the Kyiv Cave Monastery National Conservation Area had rebranded the names of the saints whose imperishable relics rest in the caves of the Holy Dormition Kyiv Cave Monastery. The plaques with the names of the saints, which were previously written in Church Slavonic, have been translated into Ukrainian.