Secretary of the Grand Chamber of the Supreme Court takes part in a workshop on the rule of law within the framework of the ACCESS - Ukraine initiative

Studying Finland's experience in implementing reforms necessary for integration into the European Union, strengthening bilateral relations, identifying ways of cooperation on EU enlargement and supporting Ukraine by providing expert assistance from Finnish partners - these topics were the focus of the visit of the Ukrainian delegation to Helsinki (Finland). The delegation included Vitalii Urkevych, Secretary of the Grand Chamber of the Supreme Court.

During the trip, the Ukrainian side visited the highest judicial institutions of Finland - the Supreme Court of Finland, the Supreme Administrative Court, as well as the National Judicial Administration, and paid a visit to the Finnish Parliament and the Ministry of Justice. The members of the delegation briefed their Finnish counterparts on Ukraine's achievements on the path to the EU and progress in implementing the recommendations of the European Commission.

Vitalii Urkevych, Secretary of the Grand Chamber of the Supreme Court, told the Finnish partners that despite the challenges of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine (damage to the premises of judicial institutions, lack of electricity caused by Russian shelling, constant security threats, etc.), the judicial system of our country continues to protect the rights of citizens and legal entities. At the same time, he said, there is a problem with national courts considering cases in which the Russian Federation as an aggressor state is the defendant. The Supreme Court has formed a position that in such categories of cases, Ukrainian courts may ignore Russia's jurisdictional immunity, as Russia's armed aggression goes beyond the exercise of its sovereign rights.

Other issues raised included judicial independence, access to justice in times of war, and the interaction of the judiciary with the legislative and executive branches.

As part of the visit, a kick-off seminar was held on the project ‘Achieving Compliance and Cooperation on EU Justice Standards in Ukraine’ (ACCESS - Ukraine), aimed at strengthening Ukraine's legal capacity to comply with EU justice standards as part of the EU accession negotiations. The ACCESS Ukraine initiative is implemented jointly by the Democracy Reporting International (DRI), the Rule of Law Centre (ROLC) and the Centre for Policy and Legal Reform (CPLR) and funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland.

Over the next two years, the project will provide critical technical support to the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, in particular in the implementation of negotiating chapters 23 (Judiciary and Fundamental Rights) and 24 (Justice, Freedom and Security). The ACCESS Ukraine initiative is an important step towards securing Ukraine's future in the EU, strengthening its legal capacity and strengthening the rule of law.