On 5 April 2022, the Directorate General Human Rights and Rule of Law of the Council of Europe conducted expert consultations with the representatives of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine. The goal of these consultations was to discuss the draft law ‘On Support for Criminal Proceedings and Enforcement of Punishments, Which Are Precluded as a Result of Armed Aggression, Temporary Occupation of the Territory of Ukraine’, prepared by the Ministry, as well as to take of note of the needs and priorities of the Ministry during the martial law period and the ongoing armed aggression of the Russian Federation.

The consultations were divided into two parts. First part focused on the new challenges arising from the Russian aggression and imposition of the martial law in Ukraine, as well as Ukraine’s derogation from certain obligations under the ECHR. Deputy Minister of Justice Oleksandr Banchuk outlined the most urgent needs for the Ministry, including possible assistance of the Council of Europe in documenting gross human rights violations, to be performed in coordination with the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine.

During the second part, Mr Jeremy McBride, international expert of the Council of Europe, presented his preliminary comments to the draft law ‘On Support for Criminal Proceedings and Enforcement of Punishments, Which Are Precluded as a Result of Armed Aggression, Temporary Occupation of the Territory of Ukraine’, prepared by the Ministry’, which will help to improve the draft in light of the European human rights standards.

The consultations were conducted within the framework of the Council of Europe Project “Human Rights Compliant Criminal Justice System in Ukraine”, which is part of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine 2018-2022.