President of the Supreme Court Stanislav Kravchenko took part in the Colloquium of the Network of the Presidents of the Supreme Judicial Courts of the European Union

On 13 November 2025, President of the Supreme Court Stanislav Kravchenko took part in a meeting between representatives of the Network and the Hague Judicial Club, which brings together the Supreme Court of the Netherlands and the international judicial institutions located in The Hague. As part of the event, a working session was held in which participants focused on discussing the contribution of international and national courts and tribunals to strengthening the rule of law.

In particular, President of the International Criminal Court Tomoko Akane stressed that genocide, war crimes, and crimes of aggression must not go unpunished. Therefore, national courts and the ICC must act together, forming a united front in the fight against impunity and ensuring justice for all victims of international crimes.

President of the European Court of Human Rights Mattias Guyomar noted that the expansion of the scope of European law is accompanied by criticism of its effectiveness. Concerns are being raised regarding the “proliferation of unequal rights” - the spread of unequal rights, social fragmentation, and the hierarchical nature of legal systems. The incorporation of European law into national legislation sometimes leads to the destabilisation of the legal order. In this context, he emphasised the need for synergy between judicial decisions at the national and international levels.

President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom Lord Reed stressed that the primary responsibility for the protection of human rights lies not with the ECtHR, the Court of Justice of the EU, or the International Criminal Court, but with national courts themselves. He also highlighted the important role of universities, which disseminate knowledge about judicial practice among the legal community and students, contributing to the development of a culture of justice and the rule of law.

The next day was dedicated to the work of the Colloquium and the General Assembly of the Network. At the opening of the Colloquium, welcoming remarks were delivered by President of the Supreme Court of the Netherlands Dineke de Groot and President of the Supreme Court of Sweden and Chair of the Network of the Presidents of the Supreme Judicial Courts of the European Union Anders Eka.

During the first session of the event, “National Courts and International Crimes”, a report was presented by former Judge of the International Criminal Court Bertram Schmitt, with the discussion moderated by the First President of the Court of Cassation of France Christophe Soulard. The discussion focused, in particular, on the practice of addressing questions of immunity in the context of crimes against humanity and war crimes, as well as the application of national legislation to international crimes committed abroad in order to avoid impunity.

The timely topic of the impact of social media on judicial communication and the independence of the judiciary was discussed during the second session of the Colloquium. President of the ECtHR Mattias Guyomar dedicated his presentation to this issue, outlining the key principles of judicial communication: effectiveness, transparency, and accountability. He also emphasized the importance of developing new information technologies that should enhance the openness of the judiciary without undermining its independence.

The participants of the discussion, moderated by President of the Federal Court of Germany Bettina Limperg, shared their experience in conducting public communication using examples from the courts they lead, as well as best practices for presenting their work to the public. In addition, those present exchanged views on the role of open dialogue between the judiciary and the public in building trust in the courts, and discussed problematic aspects of communication related, in particular, to the spread of disinformation about specific judicial proceedings.  

The Colloquium was followed by a meeting of the General Assembly, which was attended by members, associate members and observers of the Network.