The International Bar Association (IBA) and the Ukrainian Bar Association (UBA) have jointly launched a pilot mentoring programme aimed at supporting Ukrainian lawyers working on war crimes cases.
Designed to provide practical guidance and confidential support, the initiative marks a significant step in reinforcing the rule of law and international justice amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
The programme connects Ukrainian lawyers handling sensitive war crimes prosecutions with leading global experts in international humanitarian and criminal law. Mentors include prominent figures such as deputy High Court judge Sylvia de Bertodano, a former prosecutor with the International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia, Rwanda and East Timor.
Other participants include Californian lawyer Abigail Kokutetsa Bridgman; 1MCB specialist criminal law barrister Iain Edwards, who chairs the defence committee of the International Criminal Court Bar Association; and Professor Mike Newton of Vanderbilt University Law School.
Other mentors include Dr Mark Ellis, the IBA’s executive director; Swiss-based Paola Fudakowska, a UK-qualified public international law and human rights lawyer; and criminal barrister Ben Keith of 5 St Andrew’s Hill.
Scoping meetings have already been conducted with participants actively involved in war crimes cases. The consultations are part of a wider effort to deliver hands-on, individualised mentoring that focuses on legal strategy, case development and judicial reasoning.
Given the sensitivity of the subject matter, the programme has emphasised strict confidentiality and tailored engagement, owing to the ongoing nature of the conflict.
IBA president Jaime Carey welcomed the IBA’s “ongoing assistance to its members in Ukraine, the country’s wider legal profession and our productive collaboration with the UBA”.
He added: “The principles of justice, the rule of law and the international legal order are under threat, and this mentoring scheme is a step toward reinforcing those values.”
Ellis, who has spoken about the need for such engagement at the IBA’s recent annual conferences in Mexico City and Paris, highlighted the importance of the initiative in fostering long-term legal resilience.
“Building on our efforts since the start of the war, the IBA is reaffirming its commitment to supporting Ukraine’s legal community during this critical period through the launch of this new mentoring programme,” he said.
“The initiative involves the exchange of written work on real-life cases and the discussion of complex legal issues, including innovative approaches to the prosecution and defence of war crimes, and judicial decision-making.”
He added: “Through this intensive and practical engagement, we aim to equip Ukraine’s legal professionals to build a more legally resilient and robust future for their country. Initially launched as a three-month pilot, our aspiration is for this programme to become a permanent fixture.”
George Artley, legal manager at the IBA, said: “This initiative is a valuable opportunity for the IBA’s community of international human rights experts to connect directly with legal professionals who need their help on the ground in Ukraine.”
In addition to mentoring, the IBA has undertaken several significant initiatives in support of Ukraine’s legal system during the ongoing conflict.
Ukrainian court cases have begun relying on video evidence collected using the IBA-founded eyeWitness to Atrocities app, which ensures secure and verifiable documentation of war crimes.
It also partnered with Ukrainian legal media outlet JustTalk to host sessions examining crimes against humanity in Ukraine with Ukrainian and international lawyers and academics, and staff from the Supreme Court of Ukraine, including Edwards.
The IBA has also hosted events focusing on the role of lawyers in the country’s long-term reconstruction efforts, which will also feature prominently at the forthcoming IBA annual conference in Toronto, of which Global Legal Post is a media partner.
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