Olena Fonova, a judge, coordinator of the regional council, and co-founder of the NGO PRO Justice, spoke about the key challenges of judicial reform in times of war, digitalization of justice, and the role of civil society.

Expertise France, one of the leading international cooperation agencies, has published its annual report, in which it presents the experience of implementing legal reforms in Ukraine through the prism of personal stories. Among the heroes of the publication are Olena Fonovajudge of the Economic Court of Luhansk region, coordinator of the Donbas Regional Council for Justice Reform and co-founder of our organization NGO “Interregional Expert Center “PRO Justice”.

“Judicial reform in times of war is not just a restoration, but a challenge that requires systemic and flexible solutions. Our goal is to preserve access to justice for every citizen, regardless of their location,” says Olena Fonova in her interview.

The focus of the conversation:

• Supporting the judiciary in times of warEnsuring the security, continuity of court operations and access to justice even in the face of displacement and hostilities.
  
• The role of civil societyThe role of civil society: creation of regional councils and establishment of PRO Justice as a response to the need for professional regional analysis of the reform.
  
• Digitalization of the judiciary: remote justice as a response to the challenges of mobility and public safety.
  
• Challenges of the systemStaff shortages, lack of funding and the need to modernize the judicial infrastructure.
  

Thanks to the EU Project “Pravo-Justice”Project, in which our organization is actively involved, a number of important initiatives are being implemented, including the “Model Courts”and digital innovations aimed at increasing transparency and reducing corruption risks in the judiciary.

Our organization continues its mission to build independent, accessible and effective justice in Ukraine by engaging expert communities in the regions and supporting the voice of local communities in policy making.

🔗 Read the full report Expertise France.