Transparency lacking in the courts

Inadequate transparency of the work of Ukrainian courts was one of the findings from monitoring under the title “Ukraine: Rule of Law”, undertaken with the support of the US Agency for International Development (USAID)

The Kharkiv Institute for Applied Humanitarian Research who carried out the study found that judges quite often restrict access to information which according to the law is open. On the other hand members of the media are not very knowledgeable about restrictions on gaining information, for example, about the need to ensure the individual’s right to privacy. The researchers have their own suggestions for resolving these problems which the Head of the Pervomaisk city district court in the Kharkiv Region Viktor Sokolenko has already made use of. Mr Sokolenko explains:  “We understand that this was what people need.  The court has become more open and the public better informed, while judges have become more responsible. Why? Because when the court is under public control, judges of course are more careful in following procedure and more considered in their approach”. The Pervomaisk Court’s move towards greater transparency is also helped by a press secretary working according to specially drawn up regulations. This experience is also one of the recommendations by those who carried out the monitoring.