On 11 June 2025, the T.M.C. Asser Institute, together with the Coordination Centre for Legal Aid Provision (CCLAP) and Ukrainian Bar Association (UBA), will host a panel event to discuss the fairness of war crimes trials in Ukraine and mark the launch of the T.M.C. Asser Institute’s Handbook for Legal Professionals.

Place: Opera Hotel Kyiv, Bohdana Khmel'nyts'koho St, 53, Kyiv, Ukraine, 01054

As conflict-related cases continue to be brought and adjudicated in Ukrainian courts, practitioners involved at all stages of the proceedings must ensure the fairness of the trials in line with domestic and international legal obligations. The public interest, coupled with ongoing supervision of Ukraine by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), EU accession criteria focused on the rule of law in Ukraine and scrutiny by national and international civil society organisations and human rights monitoring bodies mean that domestic conflict-related trials will be in the spotlight. Given that denial of a fair trial is also a crime under international criminal law, the fairness of these trials is also of particular importance in order to demonstrate Ukraine’s willingness to conduct legitimate trials domestically, a factor which will affect the complementarity of international processes and the effectiveness of justice and accountability.

The fairness of conflict-related trials can be enhanced through legislators addressing discrepancies between domestic law and international law standards, the applicability of international law and jurisprudence domestically means that practitioners can already act using the existing legislative framework, even where it is restrictive or vague. Fairness depends on consistency of the action being taken by investigators, prosecutors, defence counsel and judges of all instances in Ukraine and development of practice. The Handbook is therefore designed to be a resource to assist Ukrainian legal professionals involved in conflict-related trials to navigate the particularities of conflict-related cases in line with the international law on fair trials.

This event will include a presentation of the Handbook, followed by a discussion which touches upon key issues presenting ongoing challenges in terms of the fairness of conflict-related cases in Ukraine raised in the Handbook, including the applicability of substantive law in line with the principle of legality, effective defence, impartiality of the judiciary and reasoned opinions, aspects relating to pre-trial detention, length of proceedings and in absentia trials.

To register for the event, please sign up at this link. Please note that the event is in-person only.