Ukrainian journalists trained in court reporting

Launched in late 2017, the PRAVO-Justice project is part of a large-scale programme to promote justice sector reform in Ukraine. The project aims to improve public trust in the Ukrainian justice system and to increase public understanding of current reforms and of the judiciary. Since trials affect all aspects of the life of a society, court reporting, from major cases through to local news items, can help to shed light on how justice works and how the system is changing.

This session forms part of a programme of three two- or three-day training courses, supplemented by contributions from professionals working in the sector (magistrates, lawyers, civil servants). Between each face-to-face session, trainees receive personalised coaching in reporting, investigative journalism or article-writing. Three such programmes will be held as part of the PRAVO-Justice project.
The first group selected was made up of ten participants, including nine women and nine people aged under 35. Half of them are from the provinces (Dnipro, Kharkiv, Lviv, Vinnytsia and Rivne).

The training module, based on specific examples related to the practice of legal journalism in France, was designed and led by Thierry Cruvellier and Franck Petit, two French journalists with particular expertise in transitional and international justice issues. They are assisted by two journalists with expertise in the Ukrainian justice system, Serhii Andrushko and Irina Saliy, who draw on their own practice and experience to enrich the programme and act as coaches to support the trainees in producing their work.

Covering trials in greater depth and with greater objectivity

There was great interest and enthusiasm in the topic among trainers, external speakers and participants alike. As one Ukrainian trainer commented: "Court reporting is a kind of equilibrium point between judges and the public." Through extensive and professional coverage, "journalistsdepict all aspects of a trial." "There are so many interesting trials. I can assure you that you will get to know about real life in the courts!"

One of the journalists, who reports on court cases for a TV channel and a news website, admits "not going to court", but now hopes to follow trials in greater depth and with greater objectivity.

This first meeting allowed a better understanding of everyone's needs. An editorial conference laid the ground for the next two months: ideas for topics, which had been given in advance, were presented by each participant and discussed as a group.