This study presents a structured mapping of the human rights and justice infrastructure in Ukraine with a specific focus on the local level. It is developed in the context of Ukraine’s EU accession process, particularly Chapter 23 on judiciary and fundamental rights, and aims to provide an evidence-based overview of how relevant institutions function in practice. Rather than assessing compliance or evaluating reforms, the study focuses on institutional arrangements, capacities, and everyday operational realities. In doing so, it highlights the importance of the local dimension for understanding access to justice and the protection of fundamental rights, especially in diverse and conflict-affected contexts across the country.
The study is organised into two main types of volumes. The Foundation volume outlines the national legal and institutional framework and serves as a common point of reference for the entire series. It explains the structure and roles of key institutions and is intended as a guide that supports the reading of all further volumes. The regional volumes, beginning with the Chernihiv oblast, translate it into detailed, region-specific analysis, focusing on how the system operates in practice at the local level. Together, these volumes create a coherent and comparable picture of the system, and it is expected that the study will continue to expand with additional regions in the future.
Read the reports:
The study is designed to be used by policymakers, practitioners, researchers, and civil society actors who are interested in the functioning of justice and human rights systems in Ukraine. It can support policy discussions, inform further academic research, and provide a practical reference for understanding institutional roles and challenges at the local level. As a pilot initiative, it also develops a methodology that can be replicated and adapted in future mapping exercises. In this sense, the study is not only an analytical product but also a tool for continued work, dialogue, and evidence-based engagement in the field of human rights and justice.
Author and lead researcher: Arsen Markiv.