On December 10, 12 and 19, 2025, a series of training and practical events was held for members of the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine, inspectors, employees of the Commission’s secretariat, as well as members of the Public Integrity Council, aimed at increasing the level of reasoning of the decisions of the HQCJ of Ukraine.
The purpose of the training was to implement best national and international practices in the field of judicial administration and to ensure that Commission’s decisions are properly justified in accordance with the Law of Ukraine “On the Judiciary and the Status of Judges”.
The training event was organised with the support of the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) project “Strengthening Ukraine’s EU alignment in the rule of law” (3*E4U) with the aim of implementing one of the steps of the Roadmap on the Rule of Law.
The first training session was opened by Dr Helge Arends, Programme Director of the 3E4U* initiative. In his opening remarks, he emphasised the importance of the tasks facing participants in the context of implementing the Roadmap on the Rule of Law. Dr Arends expressed his confidence in Ukraine’s unwavering European course and stressed the importance of bringing the national judicial system closer to the standards of justice applied in EU Member States.
Anita Zikmane, a judge from Latvia, gave lectures. The international legal expert shared her in-depth knowledge of European Union law, human rights, and her extensive experience in training judges. Anita Zikmane informed participants about the standards for reasoning in the selection of judges, both for initial appointments and career advancement. Particular attention was paid to the assessment of the professional performance and integrity of judges. The expert also presented a comparative overview of relevant practices and standards established by the European Court of Justice and the European Court of Human Rights.
Krenar Loloci, a lawyer and scholar from Albania, a specialist with over 40 years of experience in constitutional law, judicial reform and ECtHR practice, and a former advisor to the President and Prime Minister of Albania on legal issues, presented an analytical review of the reasoning part of the HQCJ’s decisions and recommendations for its improvement.
In turn, Ukrainian experts – Doctor of Law, Professor of International Law Mykhailo Buromenskyi and judicial reform specialist Roman Savchuk – highlighted controversial aspects of the HQCJ’s reasoning in its decisions. They discussed standards of evidence in assesing candidates and incumbent judges, the application of the presumption of integrity, and the separation of integrity indicators from other elements of assessment.
Training participants had the opportunity to deepen their knowledge during interactive question-and-answer sessions. Each lecture session was followed by lively discussions with international experts. Participants gave examples from their own professional practice, asking lecturers to assess the compliance of the situations described with the standards adopted in the legal systems of European Union countries.
The High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine notes the significant contribution of the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) project “Strengthening Ukraine’s EU Alignment in the Rule of Law” (3*E4U), international and national experts in improving the professional competence of participants and deepening their knowledge of best European and international practices, and expresses its gratitude for the proper organisation of the training event.
The Commission consistently and responsibly fulfils the obligations set out in the Roadmap, which are aimed at improving the quality of justice, establishing high standards for the formation of the judiciary and strengthening public confidence in the judiciary.
