Ukraine justice continues in wartime conditions
Seven senior Ukrainian judges have completed a high-level judicial exchange to Ireland, as that country’s justice system continues to function almost four years after a full-scale Russian invasion.
Organised by Irish Rule of Law International (IRLI) in partnership with the EU Advisory Mission Ukraine (EUAM Ukraine) and the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs, the visit enabled direct engagement between the Ukrainian delegation and Irish judges, academics, and international legal experts.
Despite severe wartime challenges – including damaged or destroyed court buildings, the displacement and death of judicial personnel, and some judges serving on the frontline – Ukraine’s courts continue to operate.
Caseload
They are also managing one of the largest international-crimes caseloads in modern history, with over 200,000 crimes related to Russian aggression registered in the national case system.
IRLI said that Ireland and the North offered internationally recognised experience in judicial independence under pressure, human rights, international criminal law, post-conflict justice, and institutional resilience.
For the Ukrainian delegation, the North’s experience during the Troubles — when the courts continued to function even as other institutions were suspended – provided an example of how a judiciary can uphold the rule of law during prolonged conflict.
This visit builds on previous Ukrainian judicial exchanges to Dublin and Belfast facilitated by IRLI and EUAM Ukraine.
In Belfast, the judges met the Lady Chief Justice Dame Siobhán Keegan, who is co-patron of Irish Rule of Law International.