With the support of the Council of Europe project “Protecting Children’s Rights and Promoting Child-friendly Justice in Ukraine”, the Legal Aid Coordination Centre invites mediators to apply for specialised mediator training under the Law of Ukraine “On Mediation”. The programme is titled “Mediation in restorative justice involving children”.
How to apply
The application deadline is 20 July 2026.
Applications are accepted through the following form: https://airtable.com/appem6C5fJ1rdCsoI/shrUnr8IlHVKiSGCs
The education provider is the Legal Aid Coordination Centre.
Participation in the training is free of charge.
The Council of Europe project will cover participants’ travel, accommodation and meals for the four-day in-person part of the programme. The venue will be confirmed later.
Who may apply
The programme is open to:
- mediators included in the Register of Mediators Engaged by Free Legal Aid Centres;
- mediators who intend to cooperate with the Free Legal Aid system and provide mediation in criminal proceedings between a victim and a child suspect or accused person. Mediator fees are paid through the Free Legal Aid system from the State Budget of Ukraine under the procedure established by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.
Training format
The programme will combine online and in-person sessions and will run from 3 August to 19 November 2026. The in-person part will take place in western Ukraine. National and international trainers will deliver the programme.
Online sessions
Orientation session — 3 August 2026, 15:00–17:00;
Day 1 — 13 August 2026, 10:00–18:00;
Day 2 — 20 August 2026, 10:00–18:00;
Day 3 — 27 August 2026, 10:00–18:00;
Day 4 — 10 September 2026, 10:00–14:00;
Day 5 — 18 September 2026, 10:00–14:00;
Day 6 — 25 September 2026, 10:00–18:00;
Day 7 — 8 October 2026, 10:00–14:00;
Day 8 — 15 October 2026, 10:00–18:00;
Day 9 — 22 October 2026, 10:00–18:00.
In-person sessions
The venue will be in western Ukraine.
Days 10–13 — 26–29 October 2026, 09:00–18:00.
Online sessions
Day 14 — 5 November 2026, 10:00–18:00;
Day 15 — 12 November 2026, 10:00–18:00;
Day 16 — 18 November 2026, 09:30–18:30, assessment of acquired competencies;
Day 17 — 19 November 2026, 09:30–18:30, assessment of acquired competencies.
The detailed schedule and curriculum are available through the registration form.
The programme comprises 114 contact hours, including 16 hours of independent work. The number of places is limited.
Application requirements
Applicants must:
- carefully review the training rules;
- review the detailed schedule and curriculum available through the application form;
- complete the application form;
- attach a certificate confirming mediator status under the Law of Ukraine “On Mediation”. This applies to mediators who are not yet included in the Register of Mediators Engaged by Free Legal Aid Centres and did not apply for the competitive selection of mediators between 15 and 29 June 2026;
- attach a motivation letter;
- after pre-selection, complete a test on the Free Legal Aid system’s distance-learning platform;
- attend an interview if invited by the organiser.
The motivation letter will be assessed for the applicant’s understanding of and interest in cooperating with the Free Legal Aid system to provide restorative justice mediation. Applicants should familiarise themselves with the state restorative justice programme involving children, the selection procedure for the Register, the process for engaging mediators by assignment, state-funded service provision and reporting requirements.
Certificate
Mediators who successfully complete the programme will receive a specialised mediator training certificate issued in accordance with Article 10 of the Law of Ukraine “On Mediation”.
Further information
Questions may be sent to adr.department@legalaid.gov.ua.