Centre for Research of Legal Problems of Transitional Justice

The Centre for Research of Legal Problems of Transitional Justice was established within the Memorandum of Partnership and Cooperation between the Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University and the Centre for International Humanitarian Law and Transitional Justice, concluded on February 17, 2020.

The vision of the Centre is to create an interdisciplinary network of researchers, practitioners and students interested in addressing transitional justice in societies recovering from armed conflict and repression, which will make a significant contribution to improving national legislation and public policies of affected countries to restore peace, overcome impunity and inclusion of victims in transitional justice processes.

The Centre’s mission is to conduct innovative academic, research, clinical, internship and publishing activities to protect the rights of people affected by armed conflict, reconcile divided communities, restore confidence in justice and the rule of law, and introduce institutional reforms to prevent recurrence of conflict and international crimes.

The Centre’s activities are aimed at making a significant and advanced contribution to the solution of theoretical and practical issues in the field of transitional justice, including topics such as the restoration of the rights of victims of armed conflict, prosecution of international crimes in national and international jurisdictions, introduction of institutional reforms to prevent a recurrence of conflict, the establishment and operation of truth commissions, amnesty and lustration processes, and other issues arising during the restoration of peace in the post-conflict period.

The main areas in which the academic research of the Centre is carried out are:

• transitional justice,
• human rights, their protection in international and national jurisdictions,
• international humanitarian law,
• international criminal law.

The Centre shall:

• conduct academic research and promotes the development and implementation of modern educational, research programs for the implementation of international humanitarian law, international criminal law and the principles of transitional justice;
• examine bills and prepare proposals to public authorities and local governments to improve legislation and public policy in the implementation of international humanitarian law, international criminal law and the principles of transitional justice;
• participate in public discussions on draft regulations of interest to communities affected by conflicts;
• interact with business structures, non-governmental and international governmental organizations, other academic and expert centres in accordance with the profile of the Centre’s activity;
• organize and conduct public events (conferences, round tables, seminars, annual schools, competitions, certificate programs, open lectures and other scientific and educational meetings) with the involvement of leading world experts in the fields of international humanitarian law, international criminal law and transitional justice;
• implement publishing projects and translations of scientific literature, legislation and legal practice on issues that correspond to the profile of the Centre;
• organize and conduct measures for professional development of researchers and academics of Ukrainian universities and civil servants of judicial and executive authorities of Ukraine,
• implement information projects, including joint ones with mass media, involving experts from other countries and teachers and students of the University;
• prepare reports, including those in cooperation with human rights organizations, on the observance of human rights in the context of the armed conflict in Ukraine, involving students of the University.

The Centre’s staff and experts are currently involved in drafting national legislation on the implementation of transitional justice in Ukraine, reintegration of the temporarily occupied territories, prosecution of perpetrators of war crimes and crimes against humanity, restoration of the rights of victims of armed conflict in Ukraine and dissemination of knowledge on the norms of international humanitarian and international criminal law, on the mechanisms of protection and restoration of human rights during armed conflicts and in the post-conflict period.

The Centre is open to partnership and participation in activities aimed at ensuring human rights and the rule of law.