Another step towards judges learning about EU law: a new training course has been launched in Kyiv

During the presentation of the online course ‘Advanced Course on European Union Law: Aspects of Criminal Law’ in Kyiv, the Rector of the National School of Judges of Ukraine, Mykola Onishchuk, emphasised the need to accelerate the training of Ukrainian judges and prosecutors in the application of European Union law in the context of European integration processes.

The course was developed as part of a collaboration between the EU “Pravo-Justice” Project, the National School of Judges of Ukraine and the Training Centre for Prosecutors of Ukraine, and is aimed at deepening knowledge in the field of criminal justice within the context of EU law. It covers EU procedural standards, instruments of judicial cooperation, the protection of fundamental rights in criminal proceedings, and the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union.

According to the head of the NSJU, the benchmark set out in the European Commission’s position requires that at least 60% of Ukrainian judges undergo training in EU law each year. This highlights the need for ‘vigorous and systematic efforts’ to prepare the legal community for new challenges.

Mykola Onishchuk noted that Ukraine does not have time for a lengthy transition from basic study of EU law to highly specialised training in various areas of jurisdiction. At the same time, he welcomed the launch of a new training course covering specialised aspects of criminal justice. “We basically do not have time for a lengthy transition – we need specialised knowledge in the field of criminal justice right now,” emphasised the NSJU's rector, commenting on the pace of European integration reforms.

Separately, the rector noted the dynamic development of educational programmes on EU law and the high motivation of Ukrainian judges to learn. According to him, legal professionals are actively engaging with educational opportunities and demonstrating an interest in studying European law, which is already partially applied in Ukraine today and may become a fully-fledged part of the legal system in the future.

In conclusion, Mykola Onishchuk thanked the developers of the training course, emphasising its importance for the overall system of training judges and prosecutors, as criminal law is the fundamental basis for the formation of a lawyer, from which an understanding of the entire justice system begins.

As part of the presentation, a panel discussion was held on the course’s significance for the development of judicial practice and the integration of EU legal standards into Ukraine’s criminal justice system, with the participation of the judicial community, international experts and specialists in the field of training prosecutors and judges.