Driven, in particular, by the support of European partners, Ukraine’s judicial system has withstood the war – Supreme Court Vice President Oleksandr Mamalui

At a time when Russia’s full-scale war of annihilation against the Ukrainian people continues, the comprehensive assistance of European partners, and especially the OSCE (Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe) Support Programme for Ukraine, has been an important contribution to the fact that the Ukrainian judicial system has stood firm and continues to administer justice while responding to the challenges of war.

This was emphasised by the Vice President of the Supreme Court, Oleksandr Mamalui, during a high-level meeting dedicated to presenting the activities of the OSCE Support Programme for Ukraine, launched in November 2022 to address urgent civilian challenges caused by the Russian Federation’s war against Ukraine. Within the framework of the event, representatives of donor countries, the OSCE and national partners reviewed the results achieved and further steps of OSCE support in such areas as humanitarian demining, environmental security, veterans’ policy, the rehabilitation of persons released from captivity, the strengthening of the rule of law, and others.

As Oleksandr Mamalui recalled, over the recent years of cooperation between the Supreme Court and the OSCE it has been possible to increase the openness of the Supreme Court’s work, including through the launch of online platforms such as the modern law portal Supreme Observer. The Court’s digital capacity has also been strengthened through the introduction of new software for the systematisation and analysis of data related to the consideration of court cases and the automated monitoring of case law.

In addition, with the assistance of the OSCE, work continues in Ukraine on research into gender equality issues and gender-sensitive analysis, including in the judicial sphere.

Improving dialogue between the courts, the media and the public remains a priority joint task for the OSCE and the Supreme Court, aimed at enhancing the openness and accountability of the judiciary to society, the Vice President of the Supreme Court noted.

Thanks to OSCE initiatives, dialogue with law schools and law students continues, as does the engagement of young people in a deeper acquaintance with the activities of the Supreme Court and the judicial system as a whole. Such efforts are oriented towards equipping the future generation of lawyers with practical professional skills that take account of European Union standards. In this context, Oleksandr Mamalui highlighted the annual holding, with OSCE support, of the Summer Academy of International Law (this year the Academy ran from 6 to 11 July and brought together young lawyers, academics, judges and experts to discuss topical issues of international and European law – https://so.supreme.court.gov.ua/news/2383/vid-mizhnarodnykh-dohovoriv-do-praktyky-yespl-choho-navchaly-na-tsohorichnii-litnii-akademii-mizhnarodnoho-prava).

“The Supreme Court continually reaffirms its readiness to continue cooperating with the OSCE Support Programme for Ukraine in order to strengthen the Court’s capacity to administer justice transparently, accountably and in accordance with the best international standards of judicial proceedings,” the Vice President of the Supreme Court assured in conclusion.