Two fact-finding missions of the joint European Union-Council of Europe Project “Strengthening the efficiency of the justice system in Ukraine”, financed from the EU/CoE Programmatic Co-operation Framework for the Eastern Partnership countries, took place in Kyiv in the period of 30 March – 3 April 2015. The missions aimed at securing an agreement on synergies, close coordination and partnerships with stakeholders involved and at revisiting the national partners’ needs in strengthening the efficiency of the judicial system of Ukraine and in supporting the implementation of the Ukrainian Law on the Bar and Practice of Law.
The mission on the efficiency of the judiciary component of the project involved experts from the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ) who discussed with the representatives of Ukrainian judicial institutions and other stakeholders the latest situation in the judicial system with regards to the time management, cost efficiency and quality of court performance as well as modalities of cooperation within the framework of the project. Meetings at the Supreme Court, State Judicial Administration, National School of Judges, High Qualification Commission of Judges and Presidential Administration were important for presenting CEPEJ tools and methodologies and discussing their application in Ukrainian courts.
The mission on the bar component of the project, supported by a Council of Europe expert, discussed in great details the needs of the National Bar Association of Ukraine in building its capacity in organizational management, strategic planning, as well as the provision of the continuous training to lawyers. Apart from this, the mission discussed with the members of the legislative drafting working group, moderated by the President Administration, the most recent initiatives with regards to the legislative changes concerning the functioning of the Bar Association in Ukraine.
As a result of missions, supported by experts’ advice, the project documents will be strengthened and the project’s work plans for the year 2015 will be designed in line with the needs of the national partners.
