How to properly handle information and not violate the right to freely access it, guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights? How is the right to receive and disseminate information ensured during wartime, reflecting a critical safeguard of freedom of expression, which is one of the key principles of democracy outlined in the Reykjavik Declaration?

Yet another group of 29 Ukrainian judges from administrative courts had an opportunity to receive answers to these and other questions and exchange practices on the application of the legislation during wartime in line with European standards and the case law of the European Court of Human Rights. This training was the third activity organised by the National School of Judges of Ukraine in co-operation with the Council of Europe SFEM-UA Project (see more information below) on this topic. The first training took place on 2-3 November 2023, and the second on 15-16 February 2024, with one more to come this year.

This time, the group of trainers was joined by Ms Yuliia Derkachenko, Representative of the Commissioner for Information Rights of the Secretariat of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights. The Office of the Commissioner is one of the Project’s stakeholders and an important partner of the Council of Europe in promoting European standards of access to information in Ukraine. 

The organisation of the chain of trainings also supports the execution of the judgements of the European Court of Human Rights, namely in the group of cases led by the case Centre for Democracy and the Rule of Law v. Ukraine, with due consideration of the role of the judiciary in ensuring effective protection of human rights at the national level.

The Council of Europe will continue to support Ukraine's efforts to strengthen access to public information as an important component of democracy and human rights protection. 

The Council of Europe Project “Safeguarding Freedom of Expression and Freedom of Media in Ukraine” (SFEM-UA) is implemented by the Council of Europe  Division for Co-operation on Freedom of Expression, in the framework of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine “Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction” 2023-2026.