Supreme Court judge takes part in study visit to learn more about EU law

Olesia Radyshevska, Judge of the Administrative Cassation Court of the Supreme Court, participated in a study visit to Trier (Germany) to learn about EU law. This visit was organised by the National School of Judges of Ukraine in cooperation with the Academy of European Law (ERA). The objective of the event was to familiarise participants with the activities of the ERA and to enhance the capacity of national judges to apply EU law and the case law of the EU Court of Justice within the framework of the National School of Judges of Ukraine. The study visit brought together representatives of national justice institutions and bar associations from Ukraine and Moldova.

At the opening of the event, ERA Director Jean-Philippe Ragead, ERA Deputy Directors Mareike Thoene and Viktor Vadász welcomed the delegation. The main objectives of the cooperation were to have an in-depth discussion of the challenges and ways to overcome them in terms of quality training of justice professionals in EU law in Ukraine, and to develop a joint comprehensive training strategy with all stakeholders for the coming years.

The study visit included plenary sessions and country-specific sessions, as well as professional, highly specialised discussions on joint events, the use of already developed ERA courses, the preparation of a methodological guide on the application of EU law by national judges, etc.

Representatives of EU bodies and institutions, including Anne-France Marie Alexandra Cator from the European Investment Bank, Dr Manfredas Limantas and Wojciech Postulski from the European Commission, presented the achievements and necessary steps in the field of judicial training on the path of Ukraine and Moldova to full EU membership.

Members of the delegation also took part in a hearing of the EU Court of Justice (at the preliminary request of the Amsterdam Court of Appeal in case C-672/23 Electricity & Water Authority of the Government of Bahrain and Others). They met with Advocate General Rimvydas Norkus and Judge of the Court of Justice of the European Union Octavia Spineanu-Matei. During these meetings, they discussed the specifics of the EU General Court and the EU Court of Justice, the role of the Advocate General, issues related to the sustainability of judicial practice, independence of the judiciary in the context of specialised education for judges in the application of EU law and the case law of the EU Court of Justice.

At the end of the study visit, the participants outlined the areas of cooperation between the ERA and the National School of Judges, in particular within the framework of the EU Law Training Laboratory, which is a separate structural unit of the National School of Judges of Ukraine that carries out scientific, methodological and practical activities to implement EU law in the educational process of training highly qualified personnel for the justice system.

Photos courtesy of the organisers.