Case law on international crimes – a focus for the NSJU and its European partners

What should a fair and well-reasoned court ruling on cases involving international crimes look like? How can we ensure a consistent approach when dealing with today’s most complex criminal proceedings?

On 28 July 2026, the Vice-Rector of the National School of Judges of Ukraine, Nataliia Shuklina, together with a team of specialists from the School, held a working meeting with representatives of the new EUAM project ‘Trust through Justice’.

The meeting was attended by legal adviser Uliana Pashynna, international and national experts – the authors of the Guide to Drafting Court Decisions in Cases Concerning International Crimes, Valerie Gabard, David Kinnecome and Nataliia Hendel, as well as operations manager Iryna Hladka.

The discussion was also joined by judge-trainers from the National School of Judges of Ukraine: Tetiana Fortuna, Iryna Shapovalova, Vadym Kulebiakin, Tamara Samchenko and Olha Hida.

The topic of the meeting was the preparation of a practical training course for trainee judges on drafting court decisions in cases involving international crimes, scheduled to take place in September 2026. The training event will be based on the materials from the Handbook and will aim to establish a consistent approach to the adjudication of this category of cases.

During the discussion, the parties examined the draft training programme in detail, identified its key thematic areas and approaches to conducting practical exercises. They also discussed the composition of the training team, comprising Ukrainian and international experts, the list of potential participants, and other organisational matters necessary for the successful delivery of the training event.

Following the meeting, the participants agreed to finalise the draft training programme, present it for discussion, and continue to coordinate work towards its final approval.