Judicial ethics, the Swedish way: European experience for Ukrainian judges

What lies behind a judge’s day-to-day ethical decisions? How do European standards of judicial ethics work in practice, and what approaches might be useful for the Ukrainian judicial system?

These issues were discussed during the webinar ‘Judicial Ethics’, which was held in early September by the National School of Judges of Ukraine in collaboration with the Swedish National Court Administration and the European Union Advisory Mission in Ukraine.

Judges took part in the professional dialogue, having the opportunity not only to familiarise themselves with European approaches to judicial ethics, but also to examine specific professional situations and discuss possible models of judicial conduct.

The event was opened by Tetiana Fulei, Head of the Department for Research into Judicial Proceedings and Scientific and Methodological Support for Judicial Education at the National School of Judges of Ukraine, who moderated the webinar, and Lina Wallenberg, Programme Manager and Legal Adviser at the Swedish National Judicial Administration

A key part of the training involved working on three practical case studies. Participants worked in groups, analysing the scenarios presented and discussing how to ensure compliance with ethical standards for judges in specific circumstances. This part of the training was led by Janina Kastevik, a judge at the Stockholm District Court in Sweden. She presented topical issues relating to judicial ethics and European standards, sharing her experience of their practical application within the Swedish judicial system.

This format enabled participants to move from a theoretical understanding of ethical principles to their practical application – through the analysis of professional scenarios, discussion and the search for well-reasoned solutions.

During the webinar, participants also had the opportunity to discuss current issues relating to compliance with ethical standards in their professional practice and to receive answers to questions that arise in a judge’s day-to-day work. Exchanging experiences with European colleagues is a vital component of the professional development of Ukrainian judges, as judicial ethics is directly linked to independence, impartiality, integrity and public trust in the courts.

The webinar contributed to the development of professional dialogue between the Ukrainian and Swedish judicial systems and the introduction of European approaches into the judicial education system in Ukraine.