The Chief Justice of Ukraine, Vsevolod Kniaziev, has attended in person and addressed the International Organisation for Judicial Training Conference in Ottawa, Canada.
His Honour told of the devastation of the war, with particular focus on the role of judges. He spoke about Ukrainian judges in occupied territories who are facing persecution, arrest and threats if they do not join the ranks of Russian judges. At least three judges – all of them women – have been killed, and judges have been known to destroy documents to avoid being identifiable as a judicial officer.
Nonetheless, Chief Justice Kniaziev told the conference that the judiciary and court staff continue to administer the law despite heavy fighting and damage to court infrastructure, remarking that more than three million court decisions had been made since the war began.
A number of Ukrainian Supreme Court Judges and 15 High Court staff have volunteered for frontline duty. In the lower courts, 60 judges and 311 staff have enlisted.
The slides from Chief Justice Kniaziev’s presentation can be viewed here.
The College was represented at the conference by our CEO Samantha Burchell and Judicial Wellbeing Advisor Carly Schrever, who delivered papers on sexual harassment education for the judiciary and on judicial wellbeing.
Photo courtesy of The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick.