With a Grant from the EU Project Pravo-Justice JustGroup will Implement a Systematic Approach to Building the Psychological Resilience of War Crimes Prosecutors

Prosecutors of the infrastructure for combating crimes committed in the context of armed conflict are confronted with psychologically traumatic experiences on a daily basis, and work in an emotionally challenging context carrying out their duties in the regions that are constantly exposed to missile attacks and shelling. Given the increasing dynamics of registered international crimes, as well as the number of pre-trial investigations, the working context of prosecutors will remain challenging and potentially traumatic in the coming years.

With a grant from the EU Project Pravo-Justice implemented by Expertise France, JustGroup is launching a systematic approach to building the psychological resilience of war crimes prosecutors.

"When we talk about strengthening the capacity of the criminal justice system in Ukraine, it is important to consider strengthening the capacity of the people in the system - their ability to cope with daily challenges. Our experience of working with war crimes prosecution and investigation units has shown that most managers are aware of the importance of mental health and its impact on team effectiveness, as well as the need for systematic work to develop psychological resilience of prosecutors. We are excited to start implementing a comprehensive approach and hope that our work with our partners will allow us to standardise it," says Vasylyna Yavorska, JustGroup team leader.

As part of the project, the team will work on developing key competencies for prosecutors in self-diagnosis and stress management, forming an external team for systemic psychological support, an internal resilience team to provide peer-to-peer support, and creating microlearning products to support all components of the approach. To achieve these goals, JustGroup will engage representatives from the Mental Health for Business project and the Association of EMDR in Ukraine, a professional association for specialised trauma therapy, who have the relevant expertise.

"As we approach the third year of a full-scale war, we recognise that justice cannot be achieved without investing in human capital and its psychological resilience. War crimes prosecutors deal with shocking evidence of atrocity every day — the bombing of cities, torture, premeditated killings. This requires not only professional skills, but also enormous internal resilience," said Oksana Tsymbrivska, the EU Project Pravo-Justice team leader. "Psychological support for prosecutors should be systemic, not ad hoc. We are pleased that the JustGroup project, supported by the EU Project Pravo-Justice, is launching a comprehensive approach to strengthening the psychological resilience of prosecutors. Our task is not only to help them cope with today's challenges, but also to create the conditions for them to maintain their resilience, professional motivation and faith in justice for years to come".

For reference

JustGroup is an organisation that brings together the expertise, experience and energy of criminal justice practitioners and professionals for sustainable system development, institution building and the development of a community of ambassadors for change in professional communities. JustGroup strives to implement the following justice initiatives:

• JustTalk is a platform for professional discussion about criminal justice, where interesting and practical discussions become interactive and understandable.
• JustLearn is a hub for professional development and sharing of experiences for criminal justice practitioners.
• JustStandards is an initiative to analyse investigative experiences and standardise the investigative process, including on war crimes.
• JustClub is a space for thinking and looking at the purpose of a lawyer through the prism of history, art, poetry or prose.

EU Project Pravo-Justice is a technical assistance project implemented by Expertise France with the financial support of the European Union.

After the victory of the Revolution of Dignity, the EU Project Pravo-Justice became one of the driving forces in promoting the rule of law in Ukraine, bringing the country's legal framework in line with European standards, developing a strategic vision of reforms, judicial reform, proper enforcement of court decisions, etc. It not only promotes European practices in the Ukrainian justice system by providing ongoing expert support to the judiciary, but also acts as a catalyst for change, laying the groundwork for Ukraine's integration into the EU.

The EU Project Pravo-Justice is a member of the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group (ACA) for Ukraine. It was established by the EU, US and UK to support Ukraine's efforts to ensure justice and accountability for the most serious international crimes committed in the context of Russia's full-scale invasion.