Ukraine: Support to the implementation of the judicial reform

Project title

Support to the judicial reform in Ukraine

project duration

The project duration is 31 months: 1 June 2018 to 30 December 2020.

Project budget

Euro 1,110,000 (reduced to Euro 860,000)

Project partners

Supreme Court, Ukrainian National Bar Association, High Council of Justice, High Qualification Commission of Judges, Office of the President of Ukraine, Ministry of Justice.

Key issues to be addressed

the reform of the judiciary in terms of the practice derived from the adopted legislation (2016-2020), including uniformity of judicial practice and functioning of the new courts and judicial institutions.
changes in the system of the bar including the introduction of the obligatory representation in courts by advocates and strengthening of the system of the free legal aid.

Brief description of project

The project is being implemented in Ukraine in co-operation with Ukrainian counterparts – the Judicial Reform Council, the Supreme Court, the High Council of Justice, the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine, the Council of Judges of Ukraine, and others. The project is managed by the Justice and Legal Co-Operation Department of the Directorate General of Human Rights and Rule of Law.

Project objectives

To support Ukraine in the completion of the judicial reform and in the implementation of the newly-adopted legislation with the aim of ensuring functioning and organisation of judiciary, bar and free legal aid system under newly established legislation are in compliance with the Council of Europe standards.

Project components

1 – Support to the legislative development

Aim of the component: to provide advice to the Ukrainian authorities in developing legislation on functioning of the judiciary and bar, including through the provision of expertise/assessments/opinions/recommendations

2 – Support to the development of functioning of courts and judicial institutions under the reformed legislation

Aim of the component: to support the development of functioning of courts and judicial institutions, namely, the High Council of Justice, under new legislation so as new court practice, practice of the High Council of Justice within the new powers, issues of publicity with regard to judges, practice of management of the judicial dossier are in line with the CoE standards

3 – Support to the development of bar in Ukraine

Aim of the component: to support development of the new legal institute of the obligatory representation in courts by advocates and of the free legal aid system on civil and administrative cases so as respective procedural aspects and quality of legal advices are in line with the CoE standards and the best European practise

Expected results

The amended legislation in Ukraine allows the judiciary and the bar in their practice to adhere to Council of Europe standards .
Functioning of courts and judicial institutions under the reformed legislation framework follows the standards of the Council of Europe and the relevant European practices.
The involvement of the bar in litigation in terms of procedure and practice comply with the Council of Europe standards.

Project News

Back The level of informational transparency of the judiciary grows in Ukraine - results of the monitoring of websites of courts in 2016

Ukraine: Support to the implementation of the judicial reform

The level of informational transparency of the judiciary grows, according to the results of monitoring of websites of courts in 2016.

The monitoring was conducted by the Regional Press Development Institute with the assistance of the Council of Europe project “Support to the implementation of the judicial reform of Ukraine”. The monitoring was aimed at identification of qualitative and quantitative indicators of informational transparency of websites of courts, and compliance of these websites with the national legislation on access to public information.

The results of the monitoring were presented on 31 May 2017 in Kyiv. The event was attended by judges and representatives of the Supreme Court of Ukraine, high specialised, appellate and first-instance courts, as well as representatives of the Council of Europe project “Support to the implementation of the judicial reform of Ukraine”.

According to the results of the monitoring, in 2016 the level of informational transparency of websites of courts increased by10 percent, as compared to 2015. In the opinion of experts of the Regional Press Development Institute, such results were achieved due to:

a high interest of the judiciary to increase its transparency;
a well co-ordinated work of court staff;
an active position of press-centres in courts which quickly and effectively reacted to recommendations of experts during monitoring.

The best results were demonstrated by the Vinnytsia administrative court of appeal (first place), the Kyiv court of appeal (second place) and the Court of appeal of Zhytomyr oblast (third place). Report on the results of the monitoring in Ukraine (in Russian only).

The Council of Europe project “Support to the implementation of the judicial reform in Ukraine” aims at ensuring independence, fairness and effectiveness of the judiciary by supporting Ukraine in the implementation of its justice sector reform in accordance with CoE standards and recommendations.

WEB LINKS TO THE EXPERT DISCUSSION EVENT

High council of justice

High specialised court of Ukraine for civil and criminal cases

Regional press development institute

Kyiv, Ukraine 31 May 2017