Democratic lawmaking in Ukraine: Strengthening parliamentary practice

Good laws depend on sound evidence, public participation and careful parliamentary scrutiny. Research and analytical support help parliaments assess proposed legislation, understand its likely effects and review how laws work in practice.

ODIHR is bringing together staff from the Research Service and Secretariat of Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, for a three-day workshop on democratic lawmaking. Drawing on ODIHR’s Guidelines on Democratic Lawmaking for Better Laws, participants will explore practical approaches to supporting parliamentary work at each stage of the legislative process.

The programme takes account of the realities of lawmaking under martial law, alongside Ukraine’s EU accession process. Discussions will examine how parliamentary scrutiny, public participation and legislative quality can be maintained when exceptional circumstances require procedures to be adapted.

The workshop is implemented under the Stronger Democratic Institutions in Eastern Partnership Countries project, supported and financed by the European Union, with additional support from France, Italy, Norway and Switzerland.

Participants will discuss:

•⁠  ⁠Assessing the evidence supporting draft laws and their potential effects on human rights, equality and different groups in society
•⁠  ⁠Supporting meaningful consultation with civil society, experts and those affected by proposed legislation
•⁠  ⁠Planning and reviewing legislation related to EU accession, including co-ordination between parliament and government
•⁠  ⁠Maintaining safeguards for parliamentary scrutiny and accountability in accelerated and emergency lawmaking
•⁠  ⁠Reviewing how laws are implemented and whether they achieve their intended objectives, including legislation adopted under martial law

Through practical exercises based on hypothetical legislative proposals, participants will develop screening questions, consultation plans, checklists and review frameworks that can be adapted to their research, analytical and committee support work.

The workshop is tailored to staff of the Research Service and Secretariat of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, with contributions from international experts and ODIHR specialists.

The working languages will be English and Ukrainian, with simultaneous interpretation.

For further information, please contact Sophio Asatiani, ODIHR Associate Legal Officer, at Sophio.Asatiani@odihr.pl.