Fair Trial E-learning Launches for Ukraine's Judges

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Russia's full-scale invasion has placed exceptional demands on Ukraine's criminal justice system. Judges are required to determine an expanding range of conflict-related criminal cases while ensuring that proceedings remain fair, effective and credible in circumstances shaped by martial law, displacement, security constraints and heightened public attention.

These cases frequently require judges to engage with overlapping sources of law and difficult procedural questions. Ukrainian criminal procedure must be applied alongside relevant international humanitarian law, international criminal law, and European and international human rights standards. Questions concerning detention, access to and assessment of evidence, equality of arms, allegations of ill-treatment, the presumption of innocence, the legality of criminal charges and trials in absentia may arise at different stages of proceedings. These questions are not confined to a single type of case or court instance, and their resolution must be reflected clearly in judicial reasoning.

The Advanced Judicial Training Programme on Ensuring the Right to a Fair Trial has been developed to support judges in this work. It provides a structured opportunity to revisit the applicable legal frameworks, consider practical scenarios arising in criminal and conflict-related proceedings, and develop approaches that can be applied consistently in day-to-day judicial practice. The course is now available in English and Ukrainian through Articulate 360.

The programme was developed by the T.M.C. Asser Institute in partnership with the National School of Judges of Ukraine, under the four-year project MATRA 2025-2029: Advancing the rule of law in Ukraine: strengthening the judicial system and freedom of expression. The project is co-realised with the Centre for International Legal Cooperation (CILC) and funded through the Netherlands' MATRA Government to Government programme, commissioned by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and implemented by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency.

The course is designed for judges of all instances who preside over criminal cases, including conflict-related cases. It comprises eight self-study modules, based on the Asser Institute's Handbook for Legal Professionals in Ukraine: Ensuring the Fairness of Conflict-Related Trials.

The modules cover:

1. foundations and harmonisation of fair trial standards;
2. judicial independence, impartiality, the presumption of innocence and equality of arms;
3. reasoned judgments;
4. pre-trial safeguards;
5. assessment of evidence;
6. the principle of legality; and
7. in absentia proceedings.

Each module includes required reading, audio summaries and self-study exercises. Judges must register to access the course via the link above. Participants who complete the programme may be considered for in-person trainings and study visits with international experts from 2026 to 2029.