Ukraine minister hopes IMF-backed court law passed by March

Passing the law is a priority for Ukraine to receive more money under a $17.5 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund, but critics say the draft law as it stands falls short of recommendations made by the Venice Commission.

"I am convinced that, without exception, all the recommendations presented by the Venice Commission will be taken into account," Petrenko said at a briefing. "There's no time for delay - it would be ideal for the law to be voted on at the end of February or in March."

(Reporting by Pavel Polityuk; writing by Matthias Williams, Editing by William Maclean)