President approves conceptual strategy for reforming the criminal justice system

This Conceptual Strategy was drawn up by the National Commission for the Strengthening of Democracy and the Rule of Law, with the participation of, among others, members of the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union. It took more than a year to agree the conceptual strategy with various authorities. It was approved by the Council for National Security and Defence in a decision passed on 15 February. This conceptual strategy is a truly revolutionary step for reforming the criminal justice system and envisages reform on the most major scale thus far. It includes reform of all stages of the criminal justice process and is based on guarantees of human rights and fundamental freedoms. Its implementation should undoubtedly lead to greater protection of the individual from the State. It remains to be seen how the conceptual strategy is implemented in practice. The fate of its predecessors (On reform of the system of legal aid and On reform of the judiciary) which have not been implemented do not inspire one with optimism. Nonetheless there would seem a good chance that these reforms will be carried out.