The working visit of Ukrainian delegation to Canada, 5-16 May, 2015
On 5-16 May 2015 the delegation of Ukraine visited Canada in the framework of cooperation with Ukrainian-Canadian project "Education of Judges for economic development" of the "Pre-trial Settlement of Disputes" component, implemented by the Office of the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs Canada.
The High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine is a beneficiary of the project "Education of Judges for economic development." In the working trip to Canada the Commission was represented by Mrs Olena Ponomarenko, Head of the Commission Secretariat and Mrs Polina Kazakevych, Head of the International Cooperation Division of the Secretariat.
The purpose of the visit was to familiarize with the Canadian experience of practical application of pre-trial settlement of the disputes by acting judges in the context of various branches of law and the development of appropriate guidelines for its implementation in Ukraine.
During the visit, the delegation had the opportunity to get acquainted with the peculiarities of the judicial system of Canada, to learn about the role of a judge in the trial, to familiarize with the requirements for their ethical and professional conduct, to get acquainted with the procedure for appointment to the post of judge and to learn more about possibilities of judicial cooperation with other government agencies and NGOs.
The working meeting of the Ukrainian delegation with William A. Brooks, the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs Canada and Véronique Joly, Executive Director, Judicial Appointments and Senior Legal Counsel took place in Ottawa. The Ukrainian delegation got acquainted with the tasks and functions of the Office of the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs Canada, paying special attention to the process of selection and appointment of judges.
The members of the delegation also visited the Canadian Judicial Council. Mr Norman Sabourin, Executive Director and Senior General Counsel
and Mrs Johanna Laporte, Director, Communications and Registry Services familiarized the guests with the functions and powers of the Canadian Judicial Council, which is empowered to examine complaints of citizens and the Attorney General about the behavior of federally appointed judges. There also were a number of meetings at the Council of Judges from the provinces of Ontario and Quebec, during which the Ukrainian delegation got acquainted with the structure and responsibilities of the national judicial council and the judicial council of provinces. The delegation also visited the Judicial Council of the province of New Brunswick.
In the Department of Justice of Canada the delegation members together with Mrs Judith Bellis, General Counsel and Director, Judicial Affairs, Courts and Mr Michael Douglas, Tribunal Policy and the Director of International Relations Group discussed the legislative process on the regulation of legal proceedings and the judicial system.
In addition, the delegation had a meeting with the members of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights of the Parliament of Canada, as well as with representatives of the Canadian Bar Association, during which the role of lawyers in the trial was discussed.
During the working visit to Canada, the Ukrainian delegation also visited the Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada. During this meeting, the participants discussed further steps of cooperation of Ukraine with the Government of Canada, as well as other initiatives and programs implementing by the Affairs, Trade and Development Canada.
At the end of the visit the delegation members familiarized with the judicial system of the province of Quebec, met with Mr François Rolland, Chief Justice
of the Quebec Superior Court and discussed some aspects of judicial administration and quality of justice.
