On November 30, 2023, the annual conference "JustConf" was held with the support of the Council of Europe, which is already traditionally one of the most famous platforms for the discussion of acute problems of criminal justice by representatives of the legal profession.

11 lawyers from Ukraine, including judges, defense lawyers and prosecutors, participated as speakers at the event in the TED Talk format. They delved into acute and non-standard topics in the field of criminal justice, ranging from sustainability and a people-centered approach to challenges associated with the ongoing armed aggression against Ukraine and the acceleration of the court trial of criminal cases.

In his welcoming speech, the Head of the Office of the Council of Europe in Ukraine, Mr. Maciej Janczak, noted, in particular: “Despite the current, daunting challenges posed by Russia's ongoing full-scale aggression, coupled with acts of terror and gross human rights violations the criminal justice system can and should not stay away from positive change and advancement”.

“We aim to discuss criminal justice in the language of ideas and meanings, giving a voice to those currently reshaping the system. And they have the opportunity to voice their ideas and share their vision of the issues they are working on. The present state, when criminal justice is struggling with all the challenges of war, is precisely an opportunity for strengthening and development, an opportunity for search and discovery. It's crucial that we capitalize on these opportunities to enhance the capacity of criminal justice and its people”, - said Mrs. Vasylyna Yavorska, leader of JustGroup.

The conference was organised within the framework of the project “Fostering Human Rights in the Criminal Justice System in Ukraine”, which is part of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine “Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction” (2023-2026).