The International Bar Association (IBA) – the global voice of the legal profession – is co‑sponsoring the Criminal Justice Summer School for legal students in Ukraine with Just Group – a Ukrainian non‑government organisation focused on human rights. The Summer School will be FREE to participants.

Applications for the Summer School are open to third‑ and sixth‑year law students in Ukraine. This five‑day intensive programme, with travel and accommodation costs covered, offers students the opportunity to deepen their understanding of criminal justice, international law and human rights. A certificate of completion of the Criminal Investigation Standards online course will be advantageous for applicants.

The Summer School course highlights for participants will include:

• arguing a case effectively in a real courtroom setting;
• learning the workings of the international criminal justice system;
• learning how decisions are made at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR); and
• developing interviewing techniques of witnesses and suspects in criminal court cases.

This programme goes beyond norms and procedures. It is about embracing a moral and human mission to protect dignity and rights. It aims to shape a new generation of Ukrainian lawyers who will effectively defend human rights even in the most challenging conditions.

Participants will:

• Feel the value and importance of freedom and the rule of law: understand the tragedies that result from ignoring human rights and the reasons why the rule of law is the foundation of democracy.
• Acknowledge their professional obligations: learn how to protect justice and human rights and observe the repercussions when the law is used as a tool of repression.
• Take a lesson from history: reflect on the events in Bykivnia and the importance of protecting every citizen, irrespective of political situations.

The course tutors and presenters include:

• Dr Mark Ellis, IBA Executive Director;
• Dmytro Hladkyi, lawyer and Coordinator in Ukraine of the IBA‑founded eyeWitness to Atrocities;
• Kirsty Sutherland, Co‑Chair of the IBA War Crimes Committee.

Participants of the Summer School could also win a place on the International Human Rights E‑Learning Course, a 14‑week module focusing on human rights law led by Mark Ellis and Terry Coonan, the Executive Director of the Florida State University Centre for the Advancement of Human Rights and an Associate Professor in the FSU School of Criminology. This annual course is a unique opportunity to learn the basic principles of international human rights law and about the global legal institutions that operate in this field.

Legal students in Ukraine interested in this FREE Summer School should apply via email by 27 July 2025.

ENDS

Contact: IBApressoffice@int-bar.org

Notes

1. The International Bar Association (IBA), the global voice of the legal profession, is the foremost organisation for international legal practitioners, bar associations and law societies. Established in 1947, shortly after the creation of the United Nations, it was born out of the conviction that an organisation made up of the world's bar associations could contribute to global stability and peace through the administration of justice.

2. About eyeWitness to Atrocities (eyeWitness) it is a London-based non-profit organisation, created as an initiative of the International Bar Association (IBA) in 2015, with LexisNexis hosting footage on a secure server. By combining law with technology, eyeWitness’ controlled-capture camera app for Android phones was designed to ensure that digital footage of mass atrocity crimes and serious human rights violations meets the admissibility standards of courts. eyeWitness offers the only system specifically designed by legal professionals for human rights defenders to collect, verify and safeguard digital evidence of war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and serious human rights violations.

3. Find the eyeWitness to Atrocities app on Google Play here: tinyurl.com/qctl4s6

4. Find eyeWitness to Atrocities on social media here:

   • x.com/eyewitnessorg
   • facebook.com/eyewitnesstoatrocities
   • linkedin.com/company/eyewitness-to-atrocities

5. About the IBA War Crimes Committee, it works to promote justice around the world and uphold the principle of accountability. We focus on atrocity crimes, international criminal law, and practice. We provide a forum for practitioners and scholars, offering reliable resources and a network of contacts in this field. The committee supports international, ad hoc, and domestic war crimes tribunals and collaborates with the IBA Human Rights Institute to promote justice and accountability. We also have a working relationship with the International Committee of the Red Cross. The Committee aims include being a leading professional body for international criminal law, providing valuable resources, and inspiring young lawyers in this area.

6. Find the IBA on social media here:

   • x.com/IBAnews
   • x.com/IBAevents
   • x.com/IBAHagueOffice
   • facebook.com/internationalbarassociation
   • linkedin.com/company/international-bar-association
   • bsky.app/profile/ibanews.bsky.social

Press Office
International Bar Association
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London, WC2A 1QS
United Kingdom

Mobile: +44 (0)7940 731 915
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Website: www.ibanet.org

Website page link for this news release:

Short link: www.tinyurl.com/yc3t92kv
Full link: www.ibanet.org/Join-the-IBA-co-sponsored-Free-Criminal-Justice-Summer-School-in-Kyiv