Residents of Chernihiv and Sumy regions will be asked whether they trust the courts

During March-April 2019, all courts in Chernihiv and Sumy regions are conducting a survey of visitors regarding their satisfaction with the work of the courts using special anonymous questionnaires.

The Chernihiv Public Committee for the Protection of Human Rights in cooperation with the Northern Human Rights Group (Sumy) began implementing the project “Conducting surveys of participants in judicial proceedings using the methodology of citizen reporting cards (CGC) in Chernihiv and Sumy regions” with the support of the American people, provided through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) within the framework of the New Justice Program.

To study the level of public trust in the courts in all 50 courts of general, economic and administrative jurisdiction of Chernihiv and Sumy regions, interviewers will invite court visitors to fill out an anonymous questionnaire with several blocks of questions.

Representatives of the interviewer teams will undergo appropriate training and will become familiar with the best practices of interaction between courts and the public in Ukraine, practical aspects of monitoring the quality of judicial services to citizens using the methodology of citizen reporting cards, basic dimensions for assessing the quality of court work, and will improve their skills in planning work and conducting surveys of court service users.

During the project, information will be collected and analyzed on such parameters as court accessibility, convenience and comfort of being in court, completeness and clarity of information, acceptability of costs associated with applying to court, availability of legal aid if necessary, compliance with trial deadlines, perception of the work of court staff, and perception of the work of the judge.

The active phase of the survey of court visitors will be conducted during March-April 2019. At least 4,000 respondents will be surveyed as part of the study. It is expected that conducting such a study of the opinions of citizens who are court visitors and users of court services will contribute to establishing proper communication and interaction between courts and the public, as well as improving the work of courts in general.

Based on the results of the survey, specific recommendations will be developed to improve the quality of court services. A report on the results of the study will also be published.

The results of the study will be presented in June 2019.



Contacts:



Kateryna Dankova, Chernihiv Public Committee for the Protection of Human Rights, (063) 158-32-46, e-mail: protection.ua@gmail.com.



For reference:


In the world, USAID is one of the leading development institutions, acting as a catalyst for these processes and helping to achieve positive results. USAID’s activities are a manifestation of the charity of the American people, and also support the advancement of recipient countries to independence and sustainability and contribute to ensuring the national security and economic well-being of the United States. USAID has maintained partnership relations with Ukraine since 1992; During this time, the total value of assistance provided to Ukraine by the Agency amounted to more than $3 billion. Current strategic priorities of USAID’s activities in Ukraine include strengthening democracy and mechanisms of good governance, promoting economic development and energy security, improving health systems, and mitigating the consequences of the conflict in the eastern regions. Additional information about USAID’s activities can be obtained from the Public Affairs Department of the USAID Mission in Ukraine by phone at (+38 044) 521-57-53, on the website:


or on the Facebook page:


.


The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) New Justice Program has been implemented since October 2016 and builds on the achievements of previous USAID projects Ukraine: Rule of Law and Fair Justice. The program’s goal is to support the judiciary, the Government, Parliament, the legal community, law schools, civil society, the media, and citizens in creating conditions for an independent, accountable, transparent, and effective justice system that upholds the rule of law and combats corruption.


More detailed information about the program can be found on the website


and by phone at +38 (044) 581-3303.