Simultaneous interpretation for the webinar was provided thanks to “Ukraine2EU – EU Integration Support Programme for Ukraine”, which made the event accessible to a broader audience.

As part of the cooperation between the Research Service of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and the Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe (Vienna, Austria), an educational webinar titled “Criteria for Judicial Independence” was held.

The keynote speaker was Dr. Gabriel M. Lentner, Associate Professor of International Law and Arbitration, Deputy Head of the Department of Law and International Relations at the Danube University of Continuing Education Krems (Austria).

During the webinar, participants had the opportunity to explore:

-European approaches to defining and safeguarding judicial independence;

-recent case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union and the European Court of Human Rights that shapes legal guarantees for judicial independence;

-key risks of political interference in the judiciary across European countries;

-institutional standards that uphold human rights protection, legal certainty, and equality before the law.

Particular attention was given to the findings of the Venice Commission, Eurobarometer data on public perceptions of judicial independence in EU Member States, and the role of judicial councils and appointment/dismissal procedures as crucial safeguards against political pressure.

The webinar highlighted the importance of implementing European approaches to ensuring judicial independence as one of the key criteria of the rule of law enshrined in EU law.

Simultaneous interpretation for the webinar was provided thanks to “Ukraine2EU – EU Integration Support Programme for Ukraine”, which made the event accessible to a broader audience.