Tomorrow’s Lawyer and the coalition presented the Shadow Report in Brussels

The Shadow Report was presented in Brussels.

Tomorrow’s Lawyer and a coalition of civil society organisations led by the Agency for Legislative Initiatives presented a Shadow Report on Chapter 23 ‘Justice and Fundamental Rights’ and Chapter 24 ‘Justice, Freedom and Security’ of the of the European Commission’s Report on Ukraine in 2024 in Brussels (Belgium).

Daria Pysarenko, director of the Tomorrow’s Lawyer, emphasised that the reform of the Bar is finally visible at the level of strategic documents and is part of Ukraine’s path to the EU. However, we must be aware that there is a lot of challenging work ahead. Daria also reminded that it is extremely important to talk about strengthening the rights and guarantees of lawyers, as this is directly related to the strengthening and protection of human rights.

The event took place within the framework of the event ‘Justice and Resilience in Ukraine: Civil Society Perspective and Human Dimension of the Judicial System’, organised with the support of the EU Project ‘Pravo-Justice’, implemented by Expertise France, at the Permanent Representation of France to the EU. It brought together representatives of Ukrainian civil society, the judiciary, EU institutions and the international expert community.

The European path to membership is Ukraine’s own choice. This was emphasised in particular by Wolfgang Nozar, Head of the Rule of Law, Anti-Fraud and Financial Management Unit of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations.

‘The reforms that need to be implemented are extremely important. We fully support Ukraine’s efforts to carry out reforms, but Ukraine must take responsibility and set specific deadlines. It is important that these deadlines are both ambitious, as Ukraine wants to join the EU quickly, and realistic, so that the reforms can be implemented in practice,’ he said.

For his part, Serhiy Tereshko, Deputy Deputy Head of the Mission of Ukraine to the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, noted the contribution of civil society organisations to the preparation of the Shadow Report, which provides an alternative view on the development of the rule of law, the protection of human rights and the state of the judicial system in Ukraine. He also expressed his gratitude to the EU, in particular the Pravo-Justice Project, for supporting such initiatives.

‘The Ukrainian government remains firmly and consistently committed to promoting the rule of law. We are well aware that without adherence to key European principles, progress towards EU membership is impossible,’ he said.

In turn, Oksana Tsymbrovska, head of the EU Project ‘Pravo-Justice’, noted that the most important thing in the Shadow Report is the recommendations.

“This is where the added value of civil society lies: they not only criticise or point out gaps, but also offer a vision of what needs to be done to eliminate them. In wartime, its role becomes even more important, as its representatives are not only ‘watchdogs’ but also a powerful source of expertise for the state. European integration can only be successful if this voice is heard and the reforms are inclusive,” she emphasised.

As part of the presentation, the EU project ‘Pravo-Justice’ showed the documentary film ‘In Your Name: Justice in Wartime,’ which premiered on 18 September in Kyiv. It tells the story of the resilience of the Ukrainian judicial system during full-scale war: of those judges who continue to administer justice despite shelling, forced displacement and destroyed court buildings, as well as those who joined the Defence Forces to protect the country.
Olena Kovbii, a member of the High Council of Justice and the heroine of the film, also joined the screening. In particular, she shared her story and talked about the priorities of the High Council of Justice.
“I want European partners to see Ukrainian judges not only as bearers of the law, but as true defenders of democracy and human rights in the extreme conditions of wartime. This is also a message: even under fire and threats, we continue to serve justice — therefore, support for the judiciary is critical for establishing the rule of law in Ukraine,” emphasised Olena Kovbii.