Judicial Reform in Ukraine in the Times of Post-revolution Opening and the Lessons the EU can Learn

Abstract

The article analyses the progress and results of judicial reform in Ukraine after the Revolution of Dignity through the prism of interaction between key stakeholders – civil society, state bodies, and international partners, particularly the European Union. The study combines an analysis of scientific literature with empirical data obtained through interviews with direct participants in the reform processes after 2014. The authors trace how the window of opportunity created by mass protests and a change in the country's political course influenced institutional transformations in the field of justice. The study identifies factors that contributed to and hindered the implementation of reforms: on the one hand, public demand for the purification of the judiciary, the activation of civil society and the support of international partners, and on the other hand, resistance from the old elites, the superficial commitment of new political actors to deep transformations and the lack of proper dialogue between key stakeholders. The study concludes that the success of judicial reform in Ukraine is partial, demonstrating that even in a favorable context, systemic changes require sustained political will and effective cooperation between internal and external actors.