Project aims at ensuring effective functioning of the criminal justice system in Ukraine aligned with European human rights standards.

The attainment of the Project objective shall contribute to strengthening democratic processes in Ukraine through the development of a criminal justice system which is:

• fair, efficient and respectful of human rights and fundamental freedoms
• effective in the fight against criminality
• free of corruption and accountable at both institutional and individual levels
• trusted by the society.

• Further harmonisation of the criminal procedure legislation and practice of its implementation in line with Council of Europe standards and best practices
• Consolidation of independence, effectiveness and transparency of the public prosecution service

Beneficiary institutions: Ukrainian Parliament, Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, Supreme Court, Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, Council of Public Prosecutors, Qualification and Disciplinary Commission of Prosecutors of Ukraine; National School of Judges; Prosecutors’ Training Centre

Other partners: Office of the President of Ukraine; Ministry of Interior/National Police; State Bureau of Investigations; Coordination Centre for the Legal Aid Provision; National Bar Association; human rights NGOs

€1 million for the first phase of the project,1 July 2019 to 31 December 2020 (18 months).

€ 1.1 million for the second phase, 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2022 (24 months).

Funding ensured within the framework of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine 2018-2022.

The Project follows the Council of Europe’s working methods, based on standard setting, monitoring and cooperation.

The Project’s comprehensive approach includes a wide range of activities, including needs-assessments, research and base-line studies; policy and legislative advice (legal opinions, expert consultations); development of internal guiding and methodological documents and self-assessment instruments for the operational implementation of the new legal framework; professional capacity development activities, including development of curricula, training modules (incl. e-courses), through workshops, conferences, experience-exchange meetings, study visits; awareness raising activities; inter-agency interactions (working group meetings; public discussions/platforms; cascade peer-to-peer exchanges at regional and/or local levels); pilot/s.

2022

• Expert Opinion of the Council of Europe expert advisory group to the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine on the Draft Law of Ukraine No 7330 “On amending Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine regarding Improvement of the Activities of Joint Investigative Teams” on the basis of comments by Mr. Jeremy McBride and reviewed by Ms. Nona Tsotsoria

• Expert 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” on the basis of the expertise by Mr. Jeremy McBride, international consultant of the Council of Europe

• Information Note of the Council of Europe Expert Advisory Group to the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine on the Public Outreach in War Crimes Proceedings: Compliance with Articles 6, 8 and 3 of ECHR prepared by Mr. Jeremy McBride and reviewed by Ms. Nona Tsotsoria
• Information Note of the Council of Europe Expert Advisory Group to the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine on the “Trials In Absentia in War Crimes Proceedings: Compliance with Article 6 of ECHR”, prepared by Ms. Nona Tsotsoria and reviewed by Mr. Jeremy McBride
• Information Note of the Council of Europe Expert Advisory Group to the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine on the “Application of the Article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights in Time of War”, prepared by Mr. Jeremy McBride and reviewed by Ms. Nona Tsotsoria

• Research report: Application of Pre-Trial Detention and House Arrest in Ukraine

• “Expert analysis of the disciplinary practice of the Body in charge of disciplinary proceedings in the prosecutor’s offices, for the 9 months of its work (2021-2022), prepared by Mr Volodymyr Petrakovskyi and reviewed by Dr. Lorena Bachmaier (the report is available only in Ukrainian)

2021

• Expert comments to the Draft Law No. 5336 “On Amendments to the Criminal Code of Ukraine Concerning Criminal Liability for Torture” on the basis of the expertise by Mr. Jeremy McBride, international consultant of the Council of Europe
• Expert comments to the Draft Law No. 5157 “On amendments to certain legislative acts of Ukraine concerning priority measures to reform the bodies of the Prosecutor’s Office” with regard to certain aspects of the transitional provisions” and the Draft Law No. 5158 “On amending certain laws of Ukraine on improving the selection and training of prosecutors” on the basis of the expertise by Prof. Dr. Lorena Bachmaier and Mr. James Hamilton, international consultants of the Council of Europe
• Comparative study on the workload of Public Prosecutors in selected Council of Europe Member States, prepared on the basis of expertise by Lorena Bachmaier, Grażyna Stanek, James Hamilton, Gaja Štovičej and Catherine Carrie;
• An assessment of the introduction of the criminal misdemeanours in Ukraine, prepared by Yevhen Krapyvin. 
• Investigation into alleged ill-treatment contrary to Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights in Ukraine

2020

• Expert assessment of selected provisions of the draft law no. 4049 amending Code of Administrative Offences, Criminal Code and Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine in view of implementation of the ECtHR judgments on the basis of the expertise by Lilian Apostol, international consultant of the Council of Europe;
• Expert assessment of certain provisions of the Draft Laws of Ukraine No. 4048 and No. 4049 with regards to the amendments of the Criminal Code, Criminal Executive Code and Criminal Procedure Code initiated for the purpose of the execution of the ECtHR judgement Petukhov (No. 2) v. Ukraine on the basis of the expertise by George Tugushi, international consultant of the Council of Europe;
• Expert assessment of the Draft law 3009a “On amendments to the Criminal procedural code of Ukraine at the part of securing the implementation of the functions of the prosecutor's office” on the basis of expertise by Prof. Dr. Lorena Bachmaier and Mr. James Hamilton;
• An assessment of the Draft Law #2411 “On Amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine” dated 11 November 2019 for the purpose of aligning the Code with Opinion DGI(2018)07 of the Directorate General Human Rights and Rule of Law of the Council of Europe dated 09 October 2018”;
• Comparative study on effective remedies to secure criminal proceedings within a reasonable time;
• Review of the Council of Europe standards related to the liability of judges regarding unlawful judicial decisions, by Judge Ðuro Sessa, who is the ex-President of the Consultative Council of European Judges (CCJE), a member of the CCJE Bureau and the President of the Supreme Court of Croatia;
• Comparative paper on criminal responsibility of judges for unjust decisions prepared by Francesco Clementucci (France, Italy and Spain) and Kanstantsin Dzehtsiarou (England and Wales, Moldova and Poland);

2019

• Comparative study on the functioning of training institutions for prosecutors in Europe;