European Union and Council of Europe promote transparency and efficiency of judicial system of Ukraine

A Joint European Union and Council of Europe Programme on Transparency and Efficiency of Judicial System of Ukraine is holding its start-up Steering Committee on 20 November 2008 in Kyiv (the Programme is planned to operate till December 2010). In connection to this, a press conference will be organised to present the programme. 
The Joint Programme on Transparency and Efficiency of Judicial System of Ukraine is aimed at assisting in establishing of independent, impartial, efficient and professional judiciary in Ukraine, as well as to ensure that the Ukrainian judiciary is transformed into a transparent and fair judicial system that is accessible to all citizens, working effectively and transparently vis-à-vis citizens and civil society.
The Programme is co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe. It will be implemented by the Council of Europe in partnership with state authorities and organisations of Ukraine, i.e. High Council of Justice, Supreme Court, Ministry of Justice, State Court Administration, High Commercial and High Administrative Courts, General Prosecutor’s Office, Committees of the Parliament on Legal Policy and Judiciary, Council of Judges, High Qualification Commission of Judges, National Commission on Strengthening of Democracy and Ascertain the Rule of Law, Academy of Judges, National Prosecution Academy of Ukraine, Union of Advocates, Ukrainian Bar Association and other.
The Programme has 4 main goals:

° Legal framework for a transparent, accessible and efficient judiciary established;

° Judiciary system accessible to all;

° Efficiency of the judicial system strengthened and quality of judicial decisions corresponding to European standards;

° Transparency and accountability of the judicial system increased.

The press conference will take place on Thursday 20 November at 14:00 – 14:40 in the premises of Ministry of Justice, College hall, 3rd floor, 10, Rylskiy Lane, Kyiv.

The Programme will be introduced by Mrs Laura Garagnani, Head of Operations of the European Commission Delegation to Ukraine; Mr Ake Peterson, Representative of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe for the Co-ordination of Co-operation Programmes with Ukraine; Mr Vasyl Gumenyuk, Judge of the Supreme Court of Ukraine, Deputy Head of the Council of Judges of Ukraine; Heads of the High Council of Justice of Ukraine; Heads of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine and others.

For registration and additional information please contact: Mrs Yulia Skabovska, Programme assistant, tel.: (+38 044) 498 1205, e-mail: Yulia.SKABOVSKA@coe.int.

Source of information: News from the Delegation of European Commission to Ukraine and Belarus