International standards in the training of Ukrainian judges: the teaching capacity of the National School of Judges has been highly commended by the Netherlands Helsinki Committee

A press release published on the website of the Netherlands Helsinki Committee praised the organisation and delivery of training sessions for Ukrainian lawyers. Despite the serious challenges of wartime, participants from Ukraine demonstrated exceptional resilience and professional dedication; in particular, they developed comprehensive training modules and successfully delivered online training sessions for over 2,000 lawyers from across Ukraine.

You can read the article via this link.

We would like to remind you that in September–October 2024, Hanna Maina, a lecturer and trainer at the National School of Judges of Ukraine and a judge at the Samarivskyi City and District Court of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, was selected through a competitive process to participate in the MATRA ‘Rule of Law’ programme on the topic of ‘Human Rights’. The programme was developed and is being implemented by the Netherlands Helsinki Committee in collaboration with Leiden University Law School and The Hague Academy of Local Government, with funding from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Following the training, applying the knowledge gained and in line with the programme’s requirements, Hanna Maina developed a seminar on the implementation of the Istanbul Convention in Ukraine. The Convention sets the highest standards for preventing and combating gender-based violence, as well as for protecting victims of domestic violence and stalking.

Between 2024 and 2026, a series of training events were held for staff of the Ukrainian judicial system – seminars and lectures as part of initial and in-service training. Their aim was to ensure an understanding of the provisions of the Istanbul Convention, the specifics of its implementation in Ukraine, and its practical application in judicial proceedings to effectively protect the rights of victims. The training covered key aspects of the Convention’s implementation, the process of its signing and ratification, as well as its application in civil and criminal proceedings. Participants were provided with examples of the integration of international standards into judicial practice, particularly in cases of domestic violence, which contributes to improving the quality of justice and holding perpetrators accountable (Source).

The high praise from the Netherlands Helsinki Committee for the work of the lecturer-trainer is testament to the systematic efforts of the National School of Judges of Ukraine team to integrate international standards into judge training programmes and to develop the Ukrainian judicial education system.