Launch of the Ukrainian Commercial Courts Judicial Capacity Building Programme

BIICL are proud to announce the successful launch of a new capacity building programme for judges in Ukraine's commercial courts.

The programme, which BIICL has been commissioned to deliver by the UK Ministry of Justice, will build the capacity of judges from all tiers of Ukraine's commercial court system (from first instance to the Supreme Court), with respect to judgecraft, procedural issues in commercial court cases, and the vital role of judges in relation to arbitration and ADR. The programme participants will engage in peer-to-peer dialogue with highly eminent members of the judiciary of England and Wales and leading ADR experts, who will share their insights on the best UK and international practices for resolving commercial disputes and strengthening the enforcement of court decisions and arbitral awards.

A launch event was held on Tuesday 24th February 2026. This featured welcome addresses from eminent judicial and political representatives, including The Rt Hon Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury GBS PC HonFRS (President of BIICL and the former President of the UK Supreme Court), Sarah Sackman KC MP (Minister of State at the UK Ministry of Justice) and Lyudmila Kravchenko (Ukraine's Deputy Justice Minister).

Participants were also provided with insights into the design and purpose of the programme by members of the programme's International Advisory Board of experts: Judge Olena Kibenko (Judge of the Supreme Court of Ukraine), The Hon Mr Justice Robin Knowles CBE (Judge of the High Court of England and Wales), Judge Ivan Mishchenko (Judge of the Supreme Court of Ukraine), and Jonathan Wood (Chair of International Arbitration, Reynolds Porter Chamberlain; Chair of the London Chamber of Arbitration and Mediation; and former President of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators). The Hon Mr Justice Andrew Henshaw (Judge of the High Court of England and Wales) provided an overview of the commercial court system of England and Wales; and Maria Tymofienko, who leads the programme on behalf of BIICL, explained the structure and content of the forthcoming programme sessions.

The presentations were followed by a panel discussion on the value of international judicial dialogue. This panel, moderated by Helen Dodds (Honorary Senior Fellow at BIICL), featured The Hon Mr Justice Simon Picken (Judge of the High Court of England and Wales, and Lead Judge for European Affairs), The Rt Hon Lady Rose of Colmworth DBE PC (Judge of the UK Supreme Court), Lord Justice Snowden PC (Judge of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales, and Lead Judge for International Relations), and Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd PC FLSW (President of the Qatar International Court and Dispute Resolution Centre, and former Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales).

BIICL extend their warm thanks to all the speakers who participated in this event, and for the steadfast support of the UK Ministry of Justice, the UK Judicial Office and Judicial College of England and Wales, the Ukraine Ministry of Justice, the Polish School of Judges, the UK embassy in Poland, and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.