In a continuous effort to support Ukrainian national authorities in strengthening their capacities to tackle money laundering, the online training for judges on “Adjudication of money laundering cases” was organized on 18-19 November 2020 together with the National School of Judges of Ukraine. The training resonates with similar activities delivered previously to prosecutors and representatives of law enforcement authorities and is aimed at standardizing and unifying knowledge, understanding and application of relevant legislation in terms of money laundering by all elements of the criminal justice chain.
Bringing together more than 70 judges of local courts from all around Ukraine, the training focused on such topics as the social dimension of the money laundering offence, review of international documents and standards in the area of anti-money laundering, the existing anti-money laundering system in Ukraine and current legislation. Presentations and discussions on establishing judicial control during pre-trial investigation, standards of proof and evaluation of evidence, motivation of court decisions, seizure and confiscation of assets, and mutual legal assistance in criminal proceedings related to money laundering contributed to the formation of relevant knowledge and skills pertinent to money laundering offences. The training materials harmoniously combined national aspects, international standards and requirements as well as good practices from foreign jurisdictions.
In spite of the challenges posed by the online training format for both trainers and participants, the combination of different methods including mini lectures, watching videos, plenary discussions, working in small interactive groups, solving practical cases and exchanging judicial experience ensured a high level of interaction.
This activity was organised within the framework of the EU/CoE Partnership for Good Governance II Project on “Strengthening measures to counter money laundering and the financing of terrorism in Ukraine” launched in 2019, which is funded jointly by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe.