Ukraine acts to purge court system of bribery, corruption

Ukraine's Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk addresses deputies at the parliament in Kiev, Ukraine, December 11, 2015. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

KIEV (Reuters) - Ukraine's constitutional court approved moves on Friday to stamp out political meddling in the judicial system and halt bribe-taking among judges, part of an anti-corruption drive to help secure aid and goodwill from vital international backers.

The court approved amendments that would strip lawmakers of the power to appoint judges, remove judges' immunity from prosecution, and impose more stringent criteria on who can become a judge.