NSJU and PEJ will strengthen judges’ capacity to hear cases involving war crimes and crimes against humanity

War crimes, torture, sexual violence, attacks on civilian targets and the use of OSINT in criminal proceedings – Ukraine’s judicial system faces an unprecedented range of complex cases on a daily basis. The National School of Judges of Ukraine is responding to these challenges by expanding professional training for judges and developing new practical training formats for dealing with international crimes, in collaboration with the Project ‘Expedite Justice’ (PEJ).

This was confirmed by a working meeting with PEJ representatives, which took place in early September and was dedicated to identifying further areas of cooperation and joint educational initiatives.

The talks were attended by the Rector of the National School of Judges of Ukraine, Mykola Onishchuk, the Head of the International Cooperation Department, Viktoriia Semeniuk, and the lecturer-coordinator of the Teacher Training Department, Yelyzaveta Kovtiuk, as well as representatives of the PEJ project – the Director of Legal Affairs and Programmes, Maria Arselina Pimental Biscaia, the Project Manager, Iryna Bartsytska, and the Legal Affairs Expert, Oleksandr Ishchenko.

During the meeting, representatives of the PEJ outlined the main areas of the project and the opportunities for supporting judicial education in Ukraine. The project will run until 2027 and covers, in particular, the investigation and prosecution of war crimes, crimes against humanity, crimes against peace and other serious international crimes.

One of the key areas of cooperation will be the organisation of four thematic workshops for judges and other members of the legal community. The topics of these workshops will be determined taking into account the current needs of the Ukrainian judicial system and the practical challenges associated with hearing cases involving international crimes.

Priority training topics include torture and other forms of ill-treatment, drone attacks and strikes on civilian and military targets, conflict-related sexual violence, various types of attacks and their legal classification, as well as OSINT and the use of open-source information in criminal proceedings.

Particular attention was paid to developing skills in legal English. This included, in particular, the study of legal and military terminology necessary for professional communication, working with international sources of law, and materials relating to international crimes.

Development of partner cooperation

A key outcome of the meeting was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation between the National School of Judges of Ukraine and the PEJ. The document sets out the parties’ intention to develop cooperation in the field of professional training for judges and to strengthen the capacity of pre-trial investigation bodies, the prosecution service and the judiciary in four frontline regions of Ukraine with regard to the criminal prosecution and judicial proceedings relating to war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The memorandum provides for the implementation of joint educational programmes, the organisation of intensive practical workshops, ongoing expert support and the exchange of professional best practice. The training activities will cover issues relating to standards of proof and the admissibility of evidence, the assessment of complex types of evidence – in particular, open-source intelligence – the legal classification of war crimes and crimes against humanity, judicial argumentation, and the drafting of well-reasoned court decisions in accordance with the provisions of international law and Ukrainian criminal law.

Following the meeting, the parties agreed to continue working-level consultations on the content and formats of future events, to identify priority topics for the workshops and to ensure the involvement of relevant international experts.

The National School of Judges of Ukraine expresses its gratitude to the PEJ team for their willingness to support the professional development of Ukrainian judges and to help strengthen the capacity of Ukraine’s judicial system amidst a full-scale war.