On February 18, 2016 within USAID project “Fair Justice” at the Faculty of Law of Lviv University was held a workshop “International online course on preventing and combating corruption”, there were representatives of the Faculty of Law of Chernivtsi National University named after Yu. Fedkovych, Washington and Lee law schools (Lexington, Virginia, the USA).

The moderator of the event was Speedy Rice an international expert on legal education project USAID «Fair Justice”.

During the online seminar, lawyers discussed the controversial issues of anti-corruption legislation, in particular its regulation and some formal nuances of the offense in the event of receiving undue benefits.

Participants noted the innovation of anti-corruption laws, because now Ukraine has not only a system of punishment but corruption prevention. Hence, obtaining undue advantage contains material or formal structure of the offense.

“In case of undue benefits, the judge must immediately inform the relevant authorities (NAB Ukraine) as well as his leader. It provides a formal structure of offense in this context and also prevents the recurrence of such cases “, – explained Rostyslav Matviyiv the Judge of Economic Court of Lviv region.

While discussing the lawyer said that the will of the leadership of the country is the cornerstone of formation of anti-corruption legislation. Rostyslav Matviyiv emphasized promising initiatives of progressive youth Ukrainian public organization “Open Ukraine”, whose members created the project “Open Court” to demonstrate public transparency and fairness of justice via online broadcast hearings.

While discussing anti-corruption legislation, an international expert on legal education project USAID «fair justice” Speedy Rice familiarized with the documents governing the ethical scope of judicial activities and focused on the Bangalore Principles of Judicial Conduct. “These principles set standards of judicial ethical conduct and judges should use them as guidelines, and other judicial authorities can apply these principles in matters regulating judges behavior” – the Speedy Rice.

During the seminar, representatives of law schools, students were able to ask questions to experts and discuss the most controversial nuances of lawyers.

It should be added that in the workshop at Franko LNU there was held the presentation of the United Nations Convention against Corruption and the UN Academic Initiative against corruption focusing on the skills and practice, as well as presentation and discussion of the relationship of anti-corruption principles of democracy, good governance and human rights in the light of legal education.