The recognized need to improve access to justice generated the idea of holding a two-day workshop on “Access to Justice and the legislative process in Ukraine” for representatives of the Ukrainian parliament, Government, the Judiciary and scientific circles. 

The workshop is organized by the Project “Reform of Arbitration Courts and Support to Court Administration” funded by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Development Program in Ukraine  and will be held on November 14-15, 2005 at the conference room of the Committee on Legislative Policies, Verhovna Rada, 3A Sadova str., 5th floor.

Participants will have an opportunity to discuss current features of access to justice in Ukraine, find out about the European experience on this issue and debate ways of improving quality and speed of the legislative process.

Issues of transparency, full access to legislation and jurisprudence as well as the idea to achieve European legal standards have become key points for public debate. Ukraine has been experiencing a difficult process of transition from a past where justice was kept secret from the public to a more democratic society. Nowadays, Ukrainians want to know “the rules of the game” and it is the responsibility of the Ukrainian institutions to grant and guarantee this right to their citizens.

The main three speakers, whose significant input in the process of elaboration of legislation for transition economy countries, shall be: 
Dr. W. Simons, Chair of Legal Sciences, Trento University, attentive observer and frequent advisor to many NIS Parliaments on Legislative Policies;
Dr. N.S. Kuznetsova, advisor to the Verhovna Rada, who has played a key role in drafting the Civil Code of Ukraine; and, 
Mr. I.B. Shitskiy, Head of the Supreme Court Commercial Chamber, involved in major decisions affecting the interpretation of controversial provisions of law, including those on jurisdiction.
 
For more detailed information, please, contact:

Olga Bala,
National Expert for Communications and  Public Relations
Project “Reform of Arbitration Courts and Support to Court Administration”, UNDP/EC
tel.: (044) 230 3143; (044) 561 6720
e-mail: olga.bala@undp.org.ua