50 law students complete a 3-month Investigative Interviewing course led by practitioners

The first Investigative Interviewing course took place at two of Ukraine’s leading law schools: the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and the Ukrainian Catholic University. During the semester, future lawyers studied modern, standardised approaches to interrogation and information gathering used worldwide.

We need to disseminate modern methods among both criminal justice practitioners and students. After all, instilling humanistic values in future lawyers during their education will pay off in the form of fair decisions. We thank the heads of the law faculties of the NaUKMA and UCU, Volodymyr Venher and Svitlana Khyliuk, for their trust and support in piloting this initiative.

“Unfortunately, the criminal justice sector in Ukraine is still the most formally positivistic, where human rights and the rule of law are only slogans. For many years, JustGroup has been working to change this situation and introduce the best international practices for the civilized development of criminal justice in Ukraine. This course is a step towards a deeper and more informed understanding of the criminal process, its stages, and procedures. For Mohyla Academy, this is a good opportunity to combine the powerful achievements of JustGroup and the educational process to train a new generation of lawyers,” said Volodymyr Venher, Dean of the Faculty of Law at NaUKMA.

“Investigative interviewing is the most progressive methodology, distinguished by its humanity. The value of the course is that students have the opportunity to learn from experienced detectives and prosecutors. In addition, the approach to teaching is comprehensive and interdisciplinary, because biologists and psychologists are involved in teaching as well,” says Svitlana Khyliuk, director of the UCU School of Law.

This discipline is aimed at ensuring that students not only understand the theoretical foundations, but also gain practical skills in conducting investigative interviews, which will become the foundation of their professional activities, in particular:

• found out what determines the possibility of obtaining reliable information during an interview;
• understood why this methodology has become a top priority in the training of investigators and prosecutors in progressive countries;
• learned what standards and techniques underlie effective investigative interviewing;
• practiced conducting investigative interviews: from establishing psychological contact to systematizing the information received. 

The ambassadors of investigative interviewing, Marta-Mariia Yatsynina and Viktoriia Rohalska, played a significant role in preparing the curriculum, creating the syllabuses, and conducting the classes. 

“It is important to instill in students the right values that will guide them in their professional life. It is also important to create a space for interaction between students and practitioners to minimize the gap between theory and practice and prepare a specialist to work effectively. The Investigative Interviewing course allows us to achieve this. I am grateful to everyone involved for investing their time in Ukraine’s future,” says Marta-Mariia Yatsynina, a senior lecturer at UCU.

“I am glad that Investigative Interviewing is finally being implemented in universities. This is an innovative interrogation technique that is the standard of the International Criminal Court investigation. Mastering it is the key to improving the quality of pre-trial proceedings and, ultimately, the implementation of fair trial,” says Viktoriia Rohalska, professor at the Dnipro State University of Internal Affairs.

As the course is designed to develop students’ understanding of this standard and their practical skills, interaction with practitioners, including international experts and members of the national expert and training team on investigative interviewing, has become an important part of it.

For example, before the start of the course, students had a unique opportunity to talk to Asbjørn Raklev, a Norwegian expert in investigative interviewing techniques. He has become known for his achievements in investigations and improving interrogation techniques. During his talk, he emphasised the importance of emotional neutrality and complete honesty during interviews, which makes his technique effective even in complex investigations. His psychology-based approach helps avoid the manipulation and coercion of testimony, ensuring fairness in the legal process. 

The course was taught by 13 national experts, including: Vasylyna Yavorska, course launch manager and leader of the JustGroup team; Yurii Bielousov, Taras Semkiv and Iryna Samborska, representatives of the Prosecutor General’s Office; Volodymyr Vasylchuk and Vitalii Kabaiev, the NABU detectives; Viktoriia Livochka and Ihor Polshchykov, prosecutors of district prosecutor’s offices; Viktoriia Rohalska, Marta-Mariia Yatsynina, Oksana Bronevytska and Olena Dysa, university professors; Petro Chornomorets, guest expert. Inna Vyshnevska, JustGroup Project Coordinator, was responsible for the overall coordination of the educational process and interaction between the experts.

“The interaction between practitioners and students creates a powerful synergy of development and the exchange of views and experiences for both parties. The Investigative Interviewing course is not just an academic discipline; it provides the foundation for future lawyers working in the criminal justice system to become more professional, efficient, and humane. It contributes to building a law enforcement system based on trust, respect, and the safety of each one of us,” says Viktoriia Livochka, a prosecutor at the Sviatoshyn District Prosecutor’s Office in Kyiv.

The Investigative Interviewing course at leading law schools is not an isolated educational experiment, but rather part of a systemic transformation of the criminal justice system in Ukraine. This approach is based on modern international standards, including those used by the International Criminal Court, and is recognised as effective, humane, and reliable. Students who complete this course will become agents of change within the criminal justice system.

“It was one of the most memorable learning experiences of my life! I thought interrogation was just a matter of asking questions, but this course completely changed my mind. We mastered the modern methodology of investigative interviewing based on psychology, cognitive science, and respect for human rights. I learned to conduct interviews according to international standards and to better understand people, their emotions, and motivations. This course is a real step towards professional development. I am sincerely grateful to the JustGroup, Ms Marta, and the guest lecturers for their inspiration and professionalism,” says Nazar Kulikovsky, a student at the Ukrainian Catholic University.

JustGroup is already working on scaling this initiative. Soon, we plan to expand the course to other law faculties, including those that train specialists for the security and defense sector. 

The Investigative Interviewing course for students was developed by JustGroup with the support of the Norwegian Centre for Human Rights (University of Oslo) and the Transformative Recovery for Human Security in Ukraine project funded by the Government of Japan and implemented by UNDP in Ukraine.