[JURIST] Members of the Ukranian Parliament [official website] have requested that the Ukrainian Constitutional Court [official website] rule on the legality of President Viktor Yushchenko's dismissal of three judges from its bench, according to the court's information office Tuesday. The request came after last Friday's dismissal of Volodymyr Ivashchenko, the third Constitutional Court judge removed for alleged oath and ethics violations [JURIST reports]. The court is currently considering the constitutionality of Yushchenko's April 2 decree [text; JURIST report] dissolving parliament and calling for new elections. He has since issued a second decree, which is also under review by the court [JURIST reports], moving the elections to late June. A majority of legislators objected to the initial decree, filing an appeal with the 18-judge Constitutional Court. Xinhua has more.

Yushchenko has insisted [JURIST report] that his dissolution decree was proper under the Ukrainian constitution [DOC text] and has said that officials who refuse to comply with his decree could face criminal prosecution [press release; JURIST report].