‘The New Frontiers of Transitional Justice in Ukraine and Globally’ — Kateryna Busol
Monday, 26.10.2026, 4–6 p.m. | Hybrid format | In this lecture, Kateryna Busol explores the changing role of transitional justice in Ukraine and other contemporary armed conflicts. Focusing on early justice responses, reparations, and survivor-centred accountability, she examines why justice measures increasingly begin while conflicts are still ongoing. Particular attention will be given to Ukraine, where various accountability mechanisms have developed since Russia’s invasion in 2014 and where a comprehensive transitional justice policy is now taking shape despite the continuing war. The lecture will also address gender-sensitive approaches, conflict-related sexual violence, and the broader potential of transformative justice.
The nature of warfare and justice responses to related atrocities have significantly transformed over the recent years. Despite the ’Never Again’ and ’Nunca Más’ calls after the devastation of the World War II and subsequent military junta rules across Latin America, we are now witnessing the highest number of armed conflicts globally. Increasingly many of them are fully interstate or internationalised in nature.
Justice discourses around and responses to these situations have also evolved. Contexts as varied as Colombia, Syria and Ukraine demonstrate that intricate documentation, first investigations and reparation demands emerge earlier, while armed conflicts are still in their very active phases. The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights and the UN Commission of Inquiry for Ukraine have particularly stressed how Ukraine’s urgent interim reparations for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence survivors provides first crucial redress for physical and mental wounds that cannot wait until Russia’s aggression ends.
The lecture will discuss how early justice responses in armed conflicts and atrocity situations is not an option but a way forward for more survivor-centric, gender-competent and transformative accountability. The session will pay particular attention to Ukraine, as, apart from various justice measures activated since Russia’s initial invasion in 2014, Kyiv is now developing a holistic transitional justice policy - even though the cessation of Russia’s aggression seems far away.
Dr. Kateryna Busol, Associate Professor, Department of International and European Law, Faculty of Law, National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
Dr. Kateryna Busol is a Ukrainian lawyer and head of ICTJ’s Ukraine program. She is also an associate professor at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and a British Academy Research Fellow at the British Institute of International and Comparative Law. As a practicing lawyer and scholar, Kateryna has worked on conflict-related sexual violence, crimes affecting cultural heritage, direct and public incitement to genocide, reparations, and Ukraine's transitional justice process.
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