A two-day training seminar for judges of western regions of Ukraine «The pre-trial settlement of disputes by means of a judge», 10-11of March, 2015
A two-day training seminar for judges of local and administrative courts of Volyn, Lviv, Rivne, Ternopil and Chernivtsi oblast was held on the 10-11of March, 2015 in Lviv in partnership with the Ukrainian Canadian project “Judicial Education for Economic Growth”.
The event was organized by the Office of the Commissioner for Federal Judges of Canada in cooperation with the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine, who is the coordinator of this activity.
Mr Tadeush Zazhechny and Mr Donald Bryk, Judges from Canada and Mr Tony Marx and Mr Alan McIntyre, Lawyers from Canada, who are permanent experts of the Project on implementation procedures of pre-trial settlement of disputes in Ukraine were invited in training seminar.
Mr Roman Waschuk, the Canadian Ambassador to Ukraine attended the opening ceremony held on March 10, 2015. The Ambassador expressed his concern about the Project results achieved and hope for further cooperation between Canada and Ukraine in the judicial field.
Representatives of the pilot courts of the Project Mr Taras Antoniak, Chairman of Ivano-Frankivsk City Court and Mr Leonid Lichman Chairman of Malinowski District Court of the city Odesa stressed on the prospects of introducing this procedure in all courts of Ukraine. In addition, the reporting judges briefed participants on specific results of the framework of Project and the main Project’s excellence to effectively organize the distribution of work among judges. Mr Leonid Lichman mentioned that compared to previous years, the number of concluded settlement agreements in civil cases has doubled.
Mrs Oksana Luchko, Chairman of the Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Administrative Court and Mrs Ella Kataieva, Deputy Chairman of the Odesa District Administrative Court briefed participants with features of application pre-trial settlement of disputes in administrative courts. According to Mrs Oksana Luchko, the decision of the parties in pre-trial settlement of disputes is a compromise, so both parties are satisfied with the result in resolving their conflict.
All four pilot courts as part of this activity are united in their conclusion that the main advantage of the introduction of this procedure in the courts is to save time and money of the all potential trial participants.
Canadian colleagues did not pass side the fact that, among other benefits, implementation of such procedures in the courts will enhance the authority of judges and courts in society, reduce social tension in society.
Mrs Nadiia Stephaniv, Judge of the Appeal Court of Ivano-Frankivsk and the workshop participants decided to start developing a training course on pre-trial settlement of disputes at the National School of Judges of Ukraine.
It should be notice that a similar seminar for lawyers of western regions of Ukraine will be 12 and 13 March, 2015. This event will be attended by members of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Committee on Legal Policy and Justice. It will be discussed changes in procedural law on the subject.
The Project is implemented in Ukraine in April 2012. The Project aims to support the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine and the National School of Judges of Ukraine to improve judicial education. The Project is implemented by the National Institute of Canadian judiciary and the Office of the Commissioner for Federal courts of Canada, and funded by the Government of Canada.
High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine is the beneficiary of Ukrainian Canadian Project “Judicial Education for Economic Growth”. The Commission adopted a decision on the approval and implementation of the Project and appointed a Deputy Chairman of the Commission a Coordinator of a Ukrainian Canadian Project on February 18, 2015.
