Over 10 years of synergy: NSJU presented its experience of partnering with the HELP Programme at the Council of Europe conference in Strasbourg

On 2–3 July 2026, a conference and a meeting of the Steering Committee for the Council of Europe’s ‘HELP (Human Rights Education for the Legal Professions) for Ukraine, including during the war’ project (Phase II) took place in Strasbourg. The event brought together representatives of the Council of Europe, Ukrainian government bodies, educational establishments and partner institutions to take stock of the project’s implementation, discuss its outcomes and identify priority areas for cooperation in 2026.

The conference highlighted the results of the long-standing partnership between the National School of Judges of Ukraine and the HELP Programme, including more than ten years of collaboration, the integration of European standards into the system of judicial training, the development of modern teaching methodologies, joint educational programmes for judges, prosecutors and lawyers, and the provision of continuous training amidst a full-scale war.

The National School of Judges of Ukraine was represented by the Deputy Head of Department – Head of the Distance Learning Sector, Tamara Zakrevska, and the Acting Head of the Department for Initial Training of Judges, Svitlana Nechyporuk.

During the panel discussion, Tamara Zakrevska shared the experience of the National School of Judges of Ukraine, which has been one of the key partners of the HELP Programme for over ten years. She emphasised that, during this time, HELP has become an integral part of the modern system of judicial education in Ukraine. It is thanks to the Programme that the Council of Europe’s human rights standards and the case law of the European Court of Human Rights have been systematically integrated into the training process; today, European Union law standards are also being actively implemented, which is an important component of preparing judges for their work in the context of Ukraine’s European integration.

In her speech, the representative of the NSJU emphasized that HELP has become not only a platform for high-quality training courses, but also a driving force for change in judicial education. Thanks to the Programme, modern interactive teaching methods are being introduced, distance learning is being developed, a network of certified tutors is being established, and the continuous professional development of judges is being ensured.

Particular attention was paid to inter-professional training, which has become one of the most successful areas of cooperation. HELP courses bring together judges, prosecutors and lawyers. Despite their different procedural roles, they are united by a common mission – to protect human rights, ensure fair trials and uphold the rule of law. This training format helps to foster a shared understanding of European standards of justice and strengthens cooperation between all participants in the judicial process.

The partnership with the HELP Programme has taken on particular significance against the backdrop of a full-scale war. Despite air raid alerts, power cuts, constant russian attacks on the judicial infrastructure and the loss of life, Ukrainian judges continue to administer justice and undertake training. As noted in the speech, court buildings are being destroyed and people are dying, but the values on which justice is founded remain unchanged. For over ten years now, the HELP Programme has been helping to strengthen precisely these values, and today this partnership is more important than ever.

Concluding her speech, Tamara Zakrevska expressed her gratitude to the Council of Europe and the HELP Programme for their long-standing partnership and emphasised that Ukraine is ready not only to implement the best European standards but also to share its own experience of administering justice in wartime, thereby contributing to the development of European judicial education and the strengthening of the rule of law in Europe.

The participation of the National School of Judges of Ukraine in the conference and the Steering Committee meeting confirmed its active role in the development of the HELP Programme and demonstrated that the long-standing partnership with the Council of Europe is a key factor in the development of modern judicial education, based on European standards, innovative approaches to training and the shared values of a democratic society.