Anti-Corruption Coordination Initiative (ACCI)

Combating corruption is a key priority for many major donors and implementing partners working in Ukraine. With a significant number of international donors, government agencies, national and international organizations working in the area of anti-corruption, it is often difficult to know what is being done, by whom, and where, to avoid duplication of efforts. The ABA Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI) in Ukraine has established a monthly forum for representatives of the donor community, governmental agencies and civil society organizations who work in the area of anti-corruption to discuss programming, identify needs, form partnerships and coordinate their respective work. Read more »»

 

Anti-Corruption Legislative Analysis and Popularization of Conventions

In an effort to assist the government of Ukraine in drafting and enacting unified legislation that will effectively combat corruption, ABA ROLI works in partnership with the Parliamentary Committee on Combating Organized Crime and Corruption (PCCO CC) to provide legal research, comparable regional models, policy recommendations and legislative gap analysis of Ukraine’s current anti-corruption statutes, draft laws and accompanying legislation. Read more »»

ABA ROLI’s criminal law reform program has operated in Ukraine since 1997. The program assists the Ukrainian legal community in the criminal justice reform process by strengthening the capacities of Ukrainian legal institutions. Our efforts include providing technical expertise, comparative analysis, coordination and related support to the government, judiciary, law enforcement agencies and defense bar.

 

Pre-Trial Detention Project

Ukraine is perceived by many international observers as having unduly high rates of pretrial detention, which are often characterized as human rights violations and torture of criminal suspects while being detained in sub-standard detention facilities. As such, reform of the pre-trial detention system and modernization of the criminal procedure code are essential reform components. In 2006, the pilot pre-trial detention project was endorsed by the Supreme Court of Ukraine and implemented by ABA ROLI. Read more »»

 

Law Enforcement Reform Program

This program supports the country’s law enforcement reform to comply with international and European standards and assists Ukraine in meeting its international commitments. These efforts will enhance the competence and effectiveness of the law enforcement agencies, including the Ministry of Interior, National Security Defense Counsel, Prosecutor General's Office and Customs, Tax, and Border Control. Read more »»

 

Anti-Human Trafficking Program

In February 2007, ABA ROLI started the initial phase of a program to develop a confiscation fund to benefit victims of human trafficking. Funded by the International Organization of Migration (IOM) and the Royal Foreign Ministry of Denmark, this program provided research and analysis of the institutional and legislative framework necessary to support such a fund by identifying comparable criminal forfeiture models in other countries and by adapting them to the Ukrainian context. Read more »»

 

Professional Bar Development

The existence of a competent and qualified cadre of defense advocates is vital to any developing legal system and, therefore, an important area of focus for ABA ROLI’s work in Ukraine. The Defense Advocacy Program contributes to the establishment of a continuing legal education system for defense attorneys, with primary emphasis on criminal law and procedure. Read more »»

 

Legal Clinics

ABA ROLI has been committed to supporting clinical legal education initiatives throughout Ukraine. Through operational sub-grants and trainings, ABA ROLI currently supports an expanded network of legal clinics, operated in association with their respective universities. Each year, ABA ROLI provides funding support through sub-grants for the creation of additional legal clinics to foster pro bono legal consultations and practical skills education opportunities for law students. Read more »»

 

Ukrainian Client Counseling Competition

Since 2006, ABA ROLI, in cooperation with the Legal Clinic of Ostroh Academy, has administered annual client counseling competitions. The goal is to teach law students vital lawyering skills, such as client interviewing and counseling, decision-making, fee negotiation, professional ethics and teamwork. The competition also provides law students with a unique opportunity to hold client interviews in front of experienced attorneys and to receive constructive critiques on how to improve their skills. Read more »»

 

Law Student Internship Programs

ABA ROLI also supports innovative internships for law students. Throughout summer 2006, ten law students were selected to complete an intensive two-week internship program. They received first-hand experience in first instance and appellate court proceedings, human rights work, law enforcement institutions and advocacy projects. Furthermore, ABA ROLI sponsored the publication of guidelines on running a successful internship program by the Ukrainian Bar Association. The guidelines will be distributed to law schools, legal non-governmental organizations and law firms to promote the importance of these clinical internship programs throughout Ukraine. Read more »»

 

Improvement of Law Professors’ Competence

ABA ROLI is committed to assisting Ukrainian law schools in enhancing professors’ teaching methodology and substantive knowledge. To this end, in 2007, ABA ROLI organized two multi-day trainings for law professors on methodology, human rights and professional ethics. ABA ROLI also provided financial assistance to the Ukrainian European Student Association to administer a two-day international workshop dedicated to teaching European Union law in Ukrainian law schools. Read more »»

 

Supporting Broader Legal Education Reforms

Beginning in March 2007, ABA ROLI began developing a draft concept on legal education reform. It was drafted by a working group comprised of prominent Ukrainian legal experts in the field, including representatives of the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Justice, leading law universities and scientific academies. Read more »»

 

Legal Profession and Public Advocacy Program

Through tenders and sub-grant competitions, the ABA Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI) provides operational sub-grants to Ukrainian advocacy non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and university legal clinics, which offer pro bono legal services to the disadvantaged and underserved populations. Currently, ABA ROLI supports and maintains an expanding network of 32 legal consultation centers. The centers serve vulnerable groups, such as the disabled, homeless, elderly, incarcerated, HIV-positive and rural poor. Read more »»

 

Institution Building Program

An important component of ABA ROLI’s efforts is providing technical assistance for institutional capacity-building to promote long-term stability and sustainability of its legal aid clinics and NGO advocacy partner organizations. Read more »»