International crimes in the spotlight: judges honed their practical skills in conducting court proceedings

The adjudication of cases involving international crimes requires judges not only to have a thorough knowledge of national legislation, but also to be able to apply the provisions of international humanitarian and criminal law, assess complex evidence and navigate procedural mechanisms which, until recently, were uncommon in Ukrainian judicial practice.

This topical issue was the focus of a two-day seminar entitled ‘Practical aspects of direct and cross-examination of witnesses in trials concerning international crimes. Defence in trials concerning international crimes: military necessity and orders from superior authorities’, which was held in Poltava on 21–22 July 2026 by the National School of Judges of Ukraine in conjunction with the European Union Advisory Mission in Ukraine (EUAM) for judges of local general and appeal courts.

Opening the training, Liliia Hutsal, Director of the Kharkiv Regional Branch of the National School of Judges of Ukraine, emphasised that hearing cases relating to international crimes requires judges to have a high level of professional training, a thorough understanding of international humanitarian law and modern standards for the assessment of evidence.

The seminar was led by Dariusz Sielicki (Poland), Senior Adviser on the Prosecution of International Crimes at the European Union Advisory Mission in Ukraine and Doctor of Laws, and Oleksandr Ishchenko, a legal expert from the EUAM’s Legal Department for International Crimes.

The training was structured as a mock court hearing, which allowed the training process to closely mirror the real-life conditions of criminal proceedings. Participants took on the roles of the prosecution, the defence and the court, practising their skills in conducting direct and cross-examination of witnesses, analysing and evaluating evidence, and determining its relevance, admissibility and reliability.

A separate section of the programme was devoted to defence strategies in cases involving international crimes, in particular the application of the concepts of military necessity and obedience to orders from superior officers, which are often subject to legal assessment during court proceedings.

Over the course of two days, the judges actively participated in professional discussions, analysed practical case studies, shared their own experiences and jointly developed approaches to the application of international and national law when hearing the most complex categories of criminal cases.

Holding such practice-oriented training sessions helps to enhance judges’ professional skills, establish consistent judicial practice in cases involving international crimes, and strengthen the Ukrainian judicial system’s capacity to ensure fair trials in accordance with international standards.