Knowledge Hub Workshop Series – Crimes against humanity: legal framework, retroactivity, judicial interpretation and application

The Asser Institute is proud to announce the launch of the first edition of the Knowledge Hub on International Criminal Law for the Ukrainian Judiciary Workshop Series, which will focus on crimes against humanity, a novel offence in the Ukrainian legal system and for Ukrainian legal practitioners. The present workshop series also marks the first set of activities organised under the umbrella of the Knowledge Hub, launching a framework for continued dialogue, training, and cooperation on the adjudication of international crimes.

The Knowledge Hub is a joint initiative of the Asser Institute, the European Union Advisory Mission (EUAM), National School of Judges of Ukraine and individual members of the Ukrainian judiciary, designed to support judicial capacity and foster knowledge exchange. It was established to promote consistency in the application of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and International Criminal Law (ICL) by Ukrainian courts, thereby strengthening the fairness and credibility of trials concerning international crimes in Ukraine.

The workshop series is designed for Ukrainian judges, legal assistants and other relevant court staff with little to no familiarity with handling cases containing crimes against humanity charges under Article 442-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine and its application and interpretation in light of international law.

In partnership with the National School of Judges of Ukraine, certificates of completion will be provided when a minimum of three out of four workshops has been attended, and a post-workshop assessment has been taken. The post-workshop assessment consists of a live online test with 20 multiple-choice questions and a short scenario addressing practical qualification and reasoning issues in a crime against humanity case.

The programme will consist of four 2-hour workshops held between 16 March to 8 April 2026, between 18:00-20:00 Kyiv time, with interpretation provided, for a total of 8 hours of workshops. The workshops will be held under Chatham House rules. In addition, a post-workshop assessment will be held on 20 April, conducted online via Zoom.

The sessions will focus on following topics:

• 16 March 2026, Monday, 18:00 (Kyiv time): Crimes against humanity: scope, legal framework(s), and practice;
• 23 March 2026, Monday, 18:00 (Kyiv time): Retroactivity, legality and progressive interpretation of Article 442-1, Criminal Code of Ukraine;
• 1 April, Wednesday, 18:00 (Kyiv time): Civilian detention-related crimes against humanity: unlawful detention and enforced disappearance: qualification and evidentiary reasoning (I);
• 8 April 2026, Wednesday, 18:00 (Kyiv time): Civilian detention-related crimes against humanity: torture & other inhuman or degrading treatment: qualification and evidentiary reasoning (II);

Thus, through a combination of doctrinal analysis, practical case studies, and exercises, the series aims to develop participants' understanding and ability to deliver fair and reasoned judgement in individual crimes against humanity cases brought before their courts by Ukrainian prosecutors.

Register

More information: 
You can access the full programme by clicking on the following icon . For more information or if there are any questions about the workshop series or registration, please do not hesitate to contact us at KnowledgeHub@Asser.nl.

[Project] Restoring Dignity and Justice in Ukraine:  

This project is part of the ‘Restoring Dignity and Justice in Ukraine' programme, focusing on advancing accountability for international crimes committed in Ukraine. The full programme is funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and is implemented by the International Development Law Organisation (IDLO), in partnership with the T.M.C. Asser Instituut, the Center for International Legal Cooperation (CILC), and the Netherlands Helsinki Committee (NHC). The project aims at institutional strengthening and capacity development needs of various parties in Ukraine dealing with international crimes: prosecutors, police, judges, as well as journalists and civil society organisations. We believe that with the support of the international community, Ukraine can advance accountability for these crimes.