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Back Judges strengthen their knowledge of the rule of law and non-discrimination

In May 2026, more than 38 judges of civil jurisdiction, local general courts and criminal jurisdiction took part in two rounds of two-day training courses devoted to the application of the principle of the rule of law and non-discrimination standards in Ukraine.

During the first round, held on 11–12 May, judges of civil jurisdiction and judges of local general courts participated in the training course “The rule of law as a basis for the administration of justice in Ukraine”. The sessions focused in particular on the content of the principle of the rule of law, the criteria for its observance in judicial decisions, as well as practical aspects of applying the approaches developed in the case law of the European Court of Human Rights. The second day was devoted to the training course “Preventing and combating discrimination” for judges of local general courts, during which participants examined typical situations involving elements of discrimination and tools for effective judicial protection in line with European and national standards.

On 18–19 May, a course was held for judges of criminal jurisdiction, who continued to work on issues related to the rule of law and non-discrimination. The discussions focused on the application of the principle of the rule of law in criminal proceedings, in particular when restricting rights and freedoms, ensuring adequate procedural safeguards, as well as responding to instances of discrimination and hate speech.

Throughout the course, judges worked with real-life cases, shared their experience and developed approaches aimed at ensuring a more fair, impartial and non-discriminatory examination of cases in national courts.

The event was organised by the OSCE Support to Ukraine Programme within the framework of the project "Guaranteeing Respect for Human Rights in the Administration of Justice, Phase II" and the Council of Europe Project "Support to Ukraine in the Implementation of Council of Europe Standards on the Judiciary" in cooperation with the Supreme Court and the National School of Judges of Ukraine.