OSCE-supported summer schools help Ukrainian judges improve knowledge of international mechanisms to protect human rights

More than 60 judges of local and administrative courts, and legal professionals from across the country attended two summer schools held by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine during July and August 2014 on applying the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights and case-law of the European Court (ECtHR) to uphold the rule of law and strengthening the protection of human rights.

The week-long session in Stare Selo, near Lviv in western Ukraine, ended on 29 August 2014, while the first of the two summer schools was held in Kyiv on 7-25 July 2014.

The international and local experts covered, among other issues, insights on how to safeguard human rights in conditions of a state of emergency. Relevant decisions of the European Court of Human Rights were discussed, in particular those related to cases on hate speech, freedom of assembly and freedom of expression as well as obligations of the state to protect persons’ lives and investigate deaths. Special attention was paid to recent case-law of the Court on rights of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees, and economic, social and cultural issues.

The summer schools were part of a project aimed at increasing the courts protection of human rights of Ukrainian citizens. The project, funded by the Canadian Government, is being implemented by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine at the request of the National School of Judges of Ukraine, the Supreme Court of Ukraine and the Higher Administrative Court of Ukraine.