In Ukraine, the demand for remote consideration of court cases is growing.

The Head of the High Council of Justice, Hryhorii Usyk, took part in the presentation of the updated analytical report 'Remote hearings in civil, commercial and administrative proceedings', prepared by the NGO 'Interregional Expert Center 'PRO Justice' with the support of the EU project 'Right-Justice'.

In his welcoming speech, Hryhorii Usyk noted that such a report is relevant, as the judiciary has been operating remotely since spring 2020.

'The first challenge for the judicial system arose during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the presence of parties to court cases directly in the courtrooms was limited. The current situation, which has developed due to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, is the second challenge. However, the courts have a duty to ensure justice regardless of the events taking place, which requires finding alternative ways to consider court cases, one of which is remote. Currently, the trend is such that the demand for remote consideration of court cases is growing not only in frontline areas but also in central and western regions of Ukraine. This is also related to the fact that people have moved to places of permanent residence far from their homes – to other regions or abroad,' said the head of the High Council of Justice.

Hryhorii Usyk also noted that the analytical report allows identifying problematic issues in the procedure for remotely considering cases and their resolution by amending procedural codes. Currently, the possibility of remote consideration of court cases is significantly influenced by insufficient material and technical support of the courts and the lack of the necessary number of appropriately equipped halls.