Newsroom
Seminars improve observance of international human rights standards in Ukrainian courts
KYIV 1 March 2002
KYIV, 1 March 2002 - The OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine, in co-operation with the Ukrainian Ministry of Justice and the Khakiv National Law Academy, hosted a seminar for a select group of 50 post-graduate lawyers in Kharkiv on 20 and 21 February.
The aim of the seminar was to provide young lawyers with detailed information on the case law of the European Court on Human Rights, as the European Convention on Human Rights has already become part of Ukrainian legislation.
Moreover, the seminar hoped to draw the participants' attention to the provisions of the European Convention in order to enable them to apply these provisions directly in their future practice. Each participant was provided with methodological materials prepared to help them in their practice, and each one also had the opportunity to discuss actual cases with specialists on the European Convention.
The Kharkiv Law Academy, which runs a mandatory one-year post-graduate study programme for lawyers who are going on to become professional judges, provided lectures at the seminar on the freedom of expression, freedom of movement and property rights.
A further positive result of the seminar is that these lawyers will improve the observance of international human rights standards in the courts, thus helping to reduce the number of cases brought against Ukraine by the European Court of Human Rights.
At present, the legal education system in Ukraine does not emphasize international human rights standards to a sufficient degree. Therefore, this seminar was able to heighten this emphasis, if only to a limited extent.
The OSCE Project Coordinator will continue to pay considerable attention to the training of young lawyers and judges in Ukraine, as their future activities will directly support and promote the rule of law in Ukraine.
The next such seminars are already being planned. In March, a seminar will focus on the new laws of the judiciary; in May, the focus will be on the rights of citizens during court proceedings.
The aim of the seminar was to provide young lawyers with detailed information on the case law of the European Court on Human Rights, as the European Convention on Human Rights has already become part of Ukrainian legislation.
Moreover, the seminar hoped to draw the participants' attention to the provisions of the European Convention in order to enable them to apply these provisions directly in their future practice. Each participant was provided with methodological materials prepared to help them in their practice, and each one also had the opportunity to discuss actual cases with specialists on the European Convention.
The Kharkiv Law Academy, which runs a mandatory one-year post-graduate study programme for lawyers who are going on to become professional judges, provided lectures at the seminar on the freedom of expression, freedom of movement and property rights.
A further positive result of the seminar is that these lawyers will improve the observance of international human rights standards in the courts, thus helping to reduce the number of cases brought against Ukraine by the European Court of Human Rights.
At present, the legal education system in Ukraine does not emphasize international human rights standards to a sufficient degree. Therefore, this seminar was able to heighten this emphasis, if only to a limited extent.
The OSCE Project Coordinator will continue to pay considerable attention to the training of young lawyers and judges in Ukraine, as their future activities will directly support and promote the rule of law in Ukraine.
The next such seminars are already being planned. In March, a seminar will focus on the new laws of the judiciary; in May, the focus will be on the rights of citizens during court proceedings.