Updated Training Course “Rule of Law and Judicial Ethics” Started

On 25 September, an updated training course on the Rule of Law and Judicial Ethics organised by EU Project Pravo-Justice together with the National School of Judges of Ukraine started. It addresses judges’ current challenges and needs for a deeper understanding of various aspects of the rule of law.

Oksana Tsymbrivska, Team Leader of EU Project Pravo-Justice, believes the training course will be an important step in strengthening Ukraine’s judiciary. After all, understanding the principle of the rule of law and its practical application is extremely important in the context of the ongoing transformation when Ukraine is actively heading towards EU membership.

“Our European partners are closely monitoring the processes unfolding in Ukraine, and adherence to the rule of law is one of the crucial issues in the context of European integration of Ukraine. At the first EU-Ukraine bilateral meetings within the framework of screening the compliance of Ukrainian legislation with EU law under Chapter 23, much attention was paid to training judges on the rule of law,” said Oksana Tsymbrivska.

Bohdan Monich, Head of the Council of Judges of Ukraine, noted that the training course is highly relevant and essential in the context of the current challenges the judiciary is facing.

“This course will help us not only to refresh our knowledge of the basic principles of the rule of law, but also to deepen our understanding of ethical standards that are an integral part of our professional activity. The rule of law is the cornerstone of fair and impartial justice, which should serve the public by maintaining its trust in the judiciary. In turn, judicial ethics represent the standards against which we are assessed not only by our colleagues but also by the public,” he said.

Bohdan Monich also reminded that on 18 September 2024, during the XX regular congress of judges of Ukraine, a new version of the Code of Judicial Ethics was approved.

“This document introduces contemporary standards of judicial behaviour, particularly in public speaking, social media, and public activities. The Code also mentions integrity indicators. This is extremely important for assessing a judge’s professional ethics and compliance with high standards of justice,” emphasised the Head of the Council of Judges of Ukraine.

Liubov Honchar, Head of the Department for Training of Trainers at the National School of Judges, emphasised that the course is interactive and that foreign trainers are involved in it.

“We are very gratified to be able to join this important work of discussing the rule of law, the right to a fair trial, the integrity and impartiality of judges, and the independence of the judiciary. These are the most pressing issues in the judiciary today,” said Liubov Honchar, noting that the National School of Judges cannot remain aloof from these issues.

Moreover, she said that the National School of Judges of Ukraine and EU Project Pravo-Justice are working on a handbook for newly appointed judges covering all these issues.

“We hope that the course will become an interactive platform facilitating exchange of views and active discussion among judges regarding practical high-profile cases,” summarised Svitlana Maistruk, course coordinator and Court Modernization Key Expert of EU Project Pravo-Justice.

The Rule of Law and Judicial Ethics course covers the following topics: the fundamentals of the rule of law, the right to a fair trial, freedom of expression, independence of the judiciary, judicial impartiality, and judicial integrity.

The course trainers are:

• Anna Adamska-Gallant, PhD, former judge specialising in criminal cases in Poland and former international judge in Kosovo, trainer, senior international expert at EU Project Pravo-Justice;
• Marjo Naapi, former judge at the District Court of Espoo (Finland), trainer, mediator, international expert of EU Project Pravo-Justice;
• Tetiana Tsuvina, Doctor of Science (Law), Head of the Department of Civil Procedure, Arbitration and International Private Law at Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University, national expert of EU Project Pravo-Justice;
• Dmytro Vovk, PhD, Director of the Centre for Rule of Law and Religion Studies at Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University, national expert of EU Project Pravo-Justice.

It should be noted that EU Project Pravo-Justice, together with the National School of Judges, took the first steps in developing and piloting the course on the rule of law and judicial ethics in early 2021. At that time, 25 judges from different regions of Ukraine successfully completed the training.