The Ukrainian Bar Association, in collaboration with the Main Military Justice Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, organized a professional discussion on September 26, 2023, titled "Revival of Military Justice in Ukraine."

Participants of the event discussed the establishment of a military justice system in Ukraine, focusing on the challenges that lie on this path.

The discussion also centered on the draft Law of Ukraine "On Military Police," prepared by a working group for the creation of a military justice system based on the Committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on Law Enforcement, with the participation of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and the Military Law and Order Service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Contributors to the discussion included:

• Stanislav Kravchenko, Chairman of the Supreme Court of Ukraine
• Oleg Tkachuk, Judge of the Grand Chamber of the Supreme Court of Ukraine
• Mykola Onishchuk, Rector of the National School of Judges of Ukraine (NSJU)
• Nataliia Shuklina, Vice-Rector for Scientific Research and Scientific-Methodological Work at NSJU
• Iryna Teslenko, Judge of the Kreminskyi District Court of Luhansk Region on assignment to the Solomianskyi District Court of Kyiv
• Volodymyr Hutsol, Chief of the Military Law and Order Service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Chief of the Main Directorate of Military Law and Order Service of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Major General
• Pavlo Bohutskyi, Head of the Scientific Laboratory of Military and International Humanitarian Law at the Institute of Information, Security and Law of the National Academy of Legal Sciences of Ukraine, Doctor of Law, Associate Professor, Honored Lawyer of Ukraine, Major General of Justice (retired)
• Lenur Mambetov, Assistant to the Minister of Defense of Ukraine
• Oleksii Muravyov, Head of the Main Military Justice Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine
• Illya Kostin, Head of the Department of Military Justice Development and Interaction with Law Enforcement Agencies of the Main Military Justice Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, Member of the UBA Board

Summarizing the discussion, the participants acknowledged the necessity of:

• immediate establishment of the Military Police based on the Military Law and Order Service, preserving its leadership and personnel;
• creation of a military justice system, including the Military Police and military advocacy;
• establishment of military courts or specifying clear specialization for civilian judges to handle cases of military crimes under certain conditions.

Additionally, the discussion participants emphasized the priority and relevance for the state of creating a military justice system, considering the ongoing full-scale war.