UNBA intents to activate the cooperation with the probation project Norlau aiming at development of electronic monitoring НААУ

On February 27, the UNBA leadership met with representatives of the project, which is being implemented in Norway by the Norwegian Ministry of Justice and Public Safety and the Norwegian Embassy. The project aims at developing a legal framework for expanding the use of alternative sanctions, not related to imprisonment, reducing the number of prisoners and recidivism.

 The meeting was attended by the head of UNBA, BCU Lidia Izovitova, the head of HQDBC Serhii Vylkov, the head of the UNBA Secretariat Vadym Krasnyk; the head of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Ministry Affairs Project Cooperation Department, Martin Møller, senior advisor to the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hilde Austad, and the Norlau Project "Supporting Judicial Reform in Ukraine Through Full-scale Probation Implementation in Ukraine" leader Willie Gill.

The main topic of the meeting was the continuation of bar cooperation in the implementation of the project in Ukraine.

"We are ready to continue to work on this project together with you, and we realize its importance and understand the result it will bring. We are grateful for what you have done for Ukraine’’, - said Lidia Izovitova.

The next stage of the project is the development of an electronic monitoring system within the framework of the work of the Working Group on Improvement of Legislation in the Field of the Use of Criminal Penalties not Related to Imprisonment (established by the order of the Ministry of Justice of February 22, 2019). The concept should be approved by the Ministry of Justice in the near future.

The use of electronic technologies in the process of serving sentences may replace certain aspects of imprisonment, and probative control over dismissed prematurely is an area where there are needed further legislative changes and work with other participants in criminal justice. This activity is stipulated by the Medium-Term Government Priority Action Plan up to 2020.

Serhii Vylkov emphasized that the representation of advocates in the working group dealing with this issue should be increased. Currently, it’s intended to include only one advocate in such a working group. The head of the HQDBC argued that these are advocates who are guided by the priority of the rights and interests of clients and who really understand the level of human rights violations that exist in a SIZO. "Advocates are struggling with outrageous violations of the rights of people in prisons. Therefore, for the effective protection of human rights, advocates shall comprise the majority of the working group", - said Serhii Vylkov.

During the meeting, the parties also discussed the implementation by Ukraine of decisions taken by the ECHR in favor of Ukrainian citizens.

Reference: The Ministry of Justice of Ukraine and the Ministry of Justice and Public Security of the Kingdom of Norway signed an Agreement on Cooperation in the Process of Probation Implementation in Ukraine on 19.02.2016.

The document provides for support from the Norwegian side of the technical assistance project "Full-scale implementation of probation in Ukraine". The purpose of the project is to support the implementation of an institute of probation in Ukraine, based on international human rights standards.

The project is aimed at reducing the number of repeated offenses, facilitating the reintegration of offenders into society, reducing the number of prisoners and raising the level of public safety as a whole.