The Interaction between the ECHR and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU: a new HELP course for Ukrainian judges

How should European human rights standards be applied in the context of war and European integration? Ukrainian judges, judicial assistants and advisers to the Supreme Court will seek to answer this question during the new HELP tutorial course ‘The Protection of Human Rights in Europe – Interaction between the ECHR and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU’, which was launched on 23 June 2026 by the National School of Judges of Ukraine, the Council of Europe’s ‘HELP (Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals) for Ukraine, including during the war’ project (Phase II) and the Training Centre for Prosecutors of Ukraine.

Over the course of nearly three months, participants will study on the international HELP platform under the guidance of tutors, combining independent study, practical exercises, analysis of case law and professional discussions.

The Deputy Head – Head of the Distance Learning Section of the Judges’ Training Department at the National School of Judges of Ukraine, Tamara Zakrevska, emphasised that today, against the backdrop of the war and Ukraine’s European integration, it is not only the case law of the European Court of Human Rights but also European Union law, the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU and the case law of the Court of Justice of the EU.

She also highlighted the symbolic significance of the inter-institutional training format, which brought together judges and prosecutors. Such interaction creates a space for professional dialogue, contributes to the development of a common understanding of European standards for the protection of human rights, and strengthens cooperation between representatives of different legal professions.

During the opening of the course, Halyna Smirnova, Senior Specialist for the Council of Europe’s HELP Project for Ukraine, familiarised participants with the capabilities of the HELP platform and the specifics of how the training programme is organised.

The programme for the first day brought together leading Ukrainian experts in the field of European Union law and the protection of human rights. Olesia Radyshevska, a judge at the Supreme Court’s Administrative Court of Cassation, spoke about the application of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union by national courts. Olesia Tragnyuk, a professor at the Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University, addressed the issue of implementing European human rights standards in the context of Ukraine’s future membership of the European Union.

A presentation by Kseniia Voronina, Deputy Head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Prosecutor’s Office, focused on the practical aspects of international cooperation in criminal proceedings and the safeguarding of human rights when executing a European arrest warrant. The training day was concluded by Viktor Prokhor, a judge of the Supreme Court in the Civil Court of Cassation, who presented the European Court of Human Rights’ approaches to ensuring a balance of interests and good governance in cases against Ukraine.

A separate section of the programme was devoted to a hands-on introduction to the HELP course. The course tutors – Olha Balatska, a judge at Rivne City Court in Rivne Oblast, and Kateryna Bieloshchuk, a senior specialist at the Training Centre for Prosecutors of Ukraine – presented the course structure, the timetable, how to use the platform and the principles of tutor support. They also familiarised participants with the Ukrainian adaptation of the course and helped them to register on the learning platform.

It is the tutors who will support the participants throughout the course: they will moderate professional discussions, provide methodological support, help participants apply the knowledge they have gained in practice, and ensure effective mastery of the course material.

The course will run until 15 September 2026. Upon successful completion, participants will receive certificates from the Council of Europe and the National School of Judges of Ukraine.

The new HELP course is designed to strengthen the professional competencies of Ukrainian judges and prosecutors, promote the effective application of European human rights standards, and prepare the legal community for working in the context of Ukraine’s future membership of the European Union.