Under martial law, ensuring the rights of individuals in need of guardianship and care is an urgent issue - SC President

Despite all the difficulties of wartime, Ukrainian society in general and the professional community in particular continue to address concerns about the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms. In the context of Russia's armed aggression against Ukraine, it is extremely important to protect the most vulnerable categories of the population, especially in terms of ensuring the rights of persons in need of guardianship and care, and recognising persons as incapacitated or with limited capacity.

This was stated by Stanislav Kravchenko, President of the Supreme Court, during the presentation of the Special Report of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights "On the observance of social and economic rights of adults in need of guardianship and care under the legal regime of martial law". The President of the Supreme Court thanked all those who contributed to the preparation of the Special Report for their initiative and work on this important issue, as this category of persons needs special protection from the state, especially in the current difficult circumstances.

The judiciary continues to make every effort to overcome the problems caused by the Russian aggression against Ukraine. According to the SC President, in 2022, due to the full-scale war, the number of proceedings considered by Ukrainian courts, including the Supreme Court, decreased significantly. Instead, it is projected that in 2023 this figure will approach the pre-war level.

Another challenge facing the judiciary today is staff shortages. However, Stanislav Kravchenko emphasised the positive aspect of 2023 - the resumption of the work of the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine and the High Council of Justice. "This means that the vacant positions of judges will soon be filled. We are keeping this issue under control and will do everything in our power to facilitate these processes," the SC President noted.

In general, the professional discussion of the provisions of the Special Report of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights was attended by members of the Ukrainian Parliament, representatives of central executive authorities, the judiciary, military administrations, territorial communities, Ukrainian and international organisations.

The preparation of the Special Report "On the state of observance of social and economic rights of adults in need of guardianship and care under the legal regime of martial law" was supported by the Council of Europe project "Strengthening Social Protection in Ukraine", implemented by the Council of Europe within the framework of the CoE Action Plan for Ukraine "Resilience, Recovery and Rehabilitation" for 2023-2026.