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StudLab for Justice: How Students Are Creating New Solutions for Criminal Justice

At JustGroup, we believe that true reform of the criminal justice system requires more than legislative changes — it needs new people with fresh vision and energy. While we traditionally work with seasoned practitioners, we understand that the future of the system lies with its future professionals: students. Our JustStudents initiative revealed a remarkable willingness among young people to engage in dialogue, ask difficult questions, and explore complex issues. This motivated us to launch StudLab for Justice, a dedicated platform for students to act as researchers and develop new approaches to criminal justice challenges.

“I am convinced that the criminal justice system defines a country’s civilizational choice: where we are, who we are, and where we are headed. The JustStudents initiative is important and valuable to us because it is about the synergy and about bringing something new into the system. I want to believe that among the young people who have interacted with JustStudents in various ways, there are future investigators, prosecutors, judges, and attorneys who will set high standards for work within the system,” notes Vasylyna Yavorska, head of JustGroup.

How It All Began

With the support of the Supreme Court and the Faculty of Law at the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, JustGroup announced the call for applications for the StudLab for Justice project in April 2025. We received 40 applications from ambitious young specialists and selected 22 participants representing 10 Ukrainian universities:

National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy
Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv
Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University
National University of Ostroh Academy
Ivan Franko National University of Lviv
Ukrainian Catholic University
National University Odesa Law Academy
Kharkiv National University of Internal Affairs
Dnipro State University of Internal Affairs
Lviv State University of Internal Affairs

Next, 10 experienced legal professionals — judges, detectives, prosecutors, and attorneys — joined the project. As mentors, they guided the students through all stages, helping them form groups, develop topics, and conduct research. Among them were:

Rasim Babanly, First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Supreme Court
Maryna Bondarenko, Judge of the Darnytskyi District Court of Kyiv
Stanislav Borys, Attorney, Managing Partner at Vidar Law Firm
Arkadii Bushchenko, Judge of the Supreme Court
Oleksandr Ivanov, Deputy Head of the Detectives Unit at NABU
Mykola Mazur, Judge of the Supreme Court
Dmytro Mykhailenko, Judge of the Appeals Chamber of the High Anti-Corruption Court
Andriy Slyusar, Attorney, Partner at Nazar Kulchytskyi & Partners Law Firm
Maksym Chumak, Prosecutor at the Prosecutor General’s Office
Oleksandra Yanovska, Judge of the Supreme Court

“Science and academic research are the foundation of our statehood and our future. Academic research is a long game. It is the bedrock for our state and for building justice. Unfortunately, in our post-Soviet society, dissertations are still being bought and sold. Unfortunately, it is sometimes still shameful to say that you are a candidate or a doctor of sciences. However, thanks to such meaningful events and such interaction between the Supreme Court, the public sector, and the academic community, we are taking small but confident steps toward establishing the rule of law in our country,” emphasizes Volodymyr Venher, Dean of the Faculty of Law at NaUKMA.

The Jury and Evaluation

With the support of the mentors, the students prepared in-depth research papers that were evaluated by an esteemed panel of five experts:

Natalia Antoniuk, Ph.D. in Law, Deputy Head of the Criminal Cassation Court within the Supreme Court
Vira Mykhailenko, Ph.D. in Law, Head of the High Anti-Corruption Court
Volodymyr Sushchenko, Ph.D. in Law, Honored Lawyer of Ukraine, Visiting Professor at the Faculty of Law, NaUKMA
Mykola Khavronyik, Ph.D. in Law, Honored Lawyer of Ukraine, Professor at the Faculty of Law, NaUKMA
Viktoriia Rohalska, Ph.D. in Law, Professor at the Dnipro State University of Internal Affairs, Consultant at JustGroup

The papers were evaluated based on five criteria: depth of analysis and argumentation, clarity of methodology and source use, practical value of recommendations, originality of ideas, and logical structure. Natalia Antoniuk, Deputy Head of the Criminal Cassation Court within the Supreme Court, noted:

“It is very important that young people are interested in issues of criminal law and criminal procedural law. This shows us that there is a future and that there is reliable help and a new generation. I am glad that you are all in Ukraine, that you found the time and inspiration to research your chosen topics. I read and evaluated all of your papers, and they are all truly of a high standard. I am glad that there are organizations like JustGroup that engage young people and allow them to test themselves, their knowledge, and to combine theory with practice. Because in reality, not everyone succeeds at this.”

Another jury member asserts that these student-researchers are a generation of legal professionals who are not just studying the law but are rethinking its mission. They have the strength to refuse to accept injustice, to see what often goes unnoticed, and to prove that change is possible.

“The eleven papers impressed not only with their level of academic preparation but also with their depth of thought, their courage in choosing topics, and their ability to seek non-standard solutions to complex legal issues. It is a pleasure to see how young scholars are already demonstrating analytical maturity, a sensitivity to the principles of the rule of law, and a genuine desire to develop a fair and effective justice system. These studies are inspiring and give me confidence that the future of criminal justice is in reliable and creative hands,” says Vira Mykhailenko about the works.

Research Presentations and Results

The StudLab for Justice final was the culmination of the project. On August 14, 2025, 30 participants — students, mentors, and representatives of our partners — gathered at the Supreme Court. The event featured dynamic presentations and lively discussions, showcasing the energy of young legal minds and the relevance of their ideas.

The 11 research papers tackled key challenges in pre-trial investigation, covering a range of topics:

“Current Factors Influencing the Imposing, Change, and Revocation of a Preventive Measure” (Viktoriia Staryk, Nazar Vakulenko; mentor: Rasim Babanly)
“In Absentia during Pre-Trial Investigation” (Anna Rachok, Anastasiia Bubenchykova; mentor: Maryna Bondarenko)
“The Absolute Right to Silence: Interrogation from Summons to Record” (Oleksandra Matsiurak, Anna Lukomska; mentor: Stanislav Borys)
“Admissibility of Out-of-Court Statements in the Investigation of War Crimes: Legal Limits of Evidence and Current Challenges” (Mariia Lourdes Verteletska, Valeriia Aftanasiiv; mentor: Arkadii Bushchenko)
“From Asset Search to Confiscation: International Practice and Ukraine’s Experience” (Oleksandra Kyslytska, Viktoriia Mytko, Anna Zubal; mentor: Oleksandr Ivanov)
“To Admit or to Reject: How to Trust Electronic Evidence in Criminal Proceedings?” (Danylo Teslia, Ivanna Hudyma, Taras Pluhator; mentor: Mykola Mazur)
“Standards of Proof for Imposing a Precautionary Measure” (Vlad Staroselskyi, Olha Shapovalova; mentor: Dmytro Mykhailenko)
“Consequences of the Expiration of the Pre-Trial Investigation Period in Criminal Proceedings: Aspects of Judicial Practice” (Liubomyr Bahan; mentor: Andriy Slyusar)
“Does a Violation of Jurisdiction Affect the Admissibility of Evidence Obtained?” (Mark Niemchuk; mentor: Maksym Chumak)
“Recognition of Evidence as Inadmissible by the Investigating Judge during the Pre-Trial Investigation Stage” (Arsen Hots; mentor: Maksym Chumak)
“Adversarial and Equal Sides at the Pre-Trial Investigation Stage: necessitas absoluta or bovi clitillae imponere?” (Dariia Bykovets, Artem Nykonchuk; mentor: Oleksandra Yanovska)

The jury selected the three best papers, which they considered to have the greatest depth and practical value. These studies represent an important step for students in understanding criminal justice from the inside, as they demonstrated how young legal professionals can apply their knowledge to solve real-world problems.

The winners are:

First Place: Oleksandra Kyslytska, Viktoriia Mytko, and Anna Zubal with their research “From Asset Search to Confiscation: International Practice and Ukraine’s Experience”.
Second Place: Danylo Teslia, Ivanna Hudyma, and Taras Pluhator with their paper “To Admit or to Reject: How to Trust Electronic Evidence in Criminal Proceedings?”
Third Place: Anna Rachok and Anastasiia Bubenchykova for their research “In Absentia during Pre-Trial Investigation”.

A special mention for “Best Presentation” was awarded to Liubomyr Bahan.

What’s Next?

We’ve already started analyzing the experience from the first cycle of StudLab for Justice. The feedback from students and mentors will help us refine the project and make the next stage even better.

A huge thank you to all the students for their perseverance, enthusiasm, and dedication to research. We’re also incredibly grateful to the mentors whose knowledge and time were an invaluable contribution to the professional development of the next generation of legal experts.