Opening of the II Kharkiv International Legal Forum (September 25, 2018)
The ceremonial plenary meeting held at the University Palace of Students was attended by the Chairman of the Supreme Court Valentyna Danishevska, the Chairman of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine Stanislav Shevchuk, the Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine Lilia Grynevych, the chairman of the KRSA Julia Svitlychna, the rector of the University Vasyl Tatsiy and others.
The forum is co-sponsored by the Yaroslav Mudry National Law University, the National Academy of Legal Sciences of Ukraine and the Kharkiv Regional State Administration with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, the International Visegrad Fund and The Netherlands Governmentas well as Ukrainian and international public organizations – the Kharkiv Regional Foundation “Public Alternative”, the Kharkiv Law Society, the PO “Sphere”, the Slovak non-governmental organization SME SPOLU, the Global Association of Business and Human Rights Researchers, as well as the professional legal communities – the National Association of Lawyers of Ukraine, law firms – “VasilKisil& Partners”, “Shkrebets& Partners”, “Esquires” and “Juscutum”.
The special theme of this year’s forum is the development of law in conditions of digital economy. Famous researchers and practitioners from the United States, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland and other states (total of 20 countries), judges of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine and the Supreme Court, representatives of the EU, OSCE and OSER missions, other organizations take part in the work of four panel discussions. Trainings are planned on the topical issues of corporate law and intellectual property rights, a series of workshops on human rights and gender equality, meetings with the representatives of the Government, Justice offices and prosecutor’s offices.
Welcoming the participants and honorary guests of the forum, the rector of the University Vasyl Tatsiy said: ”Thanks to the open and constructive dialogue of the participants of the First Forum, new educational projects have been launched, professional contacts have been established between many scholars, educational institutions and non-governmental organizations, and the intensity of academic exchanges and joint publications has increased. The theme of this year’s Forum is that today Ukraine is at a unique stage of development, when there is a chance to make the so-called “digital leap” in key spheres of the economy. The solution of these problems is impossible without active participation of legal scholars and practitioners. “
Vasyl Yakovych also added: “It was a great honor for the organizers of the Forum to recognize its resourcefulness and relevance at the national level. The Organizing Committee received the support of the President of Ukraine as well as the full promotion of the Verkhovna Rada, the Cabinet of Ministers, the Ministry of Education and Science, especially Liliya Grynevych, in the preparation and adoption of the Resolution by the Cabinet of Ministers on the state status of our Forum.”
The co-Chairman of the Organizing Committee, the Head of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration Yuliya Svitlychna sent the congratulations to the participants of the Forum from the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, and also noted that the II Kharkiv International Legal Forum opens an international season in Kharkiv Region, which will be recharged by the X International Economic Forum in less than a week with the participation of about 600 participants, both Ukrainians and the representatives of foreign countries. “Such beginning of “the international autumn” in Kharkiv is symbolic, since no economic reform can be implemented without legal justification. I am convinced that the II Kharkiv International Legal Forum can set a high level of discussion and become an effective platform for sharing experiences and presentation of the works,” she added.
Liliia Hrynevych, the Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine informed that the government had approved the decision about giving the status of forum to the annual platform for discussing with the international community the current issues of the Ukraine’s development as a legal state.
“This decision affirms that we believe in the quality of discussions and decisions at the forum”, – she underlined. According to the Minister, the legal system in Ukraine requires rebooting and the essential role here plays modern education of a new generation of lawyers. That is why a significant part of the forum will be discussion of the legal system’s conception. The members of the event were also greeted by the Head of the Supreme Court Valentyna Danishevska, the Chief of the programme USAID “New Justice” David Vaughn, National Legal Advisor of the OSCE Project Coordinator in Ukraine, consultant to the Constitutional Comission, member of the Judicial Reform Council Oleksandr Vodyannikov and Tanel Kerikmäe, a director of Tallin Law school of Tallin University of Technology.
Then the Head of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine Stanislav Shevchuk delivered a speech “The criteria for the constitutionality of the restriction of human rights by law”.
