WESTERN REGION IMPARTIALITY OF THE COURT AND OBSERVANCE OF THE EQUALITY OF ARMS PRINCIPLE IN THE WESTERN REGION 4,1 -5 0 5 CULTURE OF CONDUCTING THE TRIAL The monitors evaluated the general status of observance of ethical norms and communication culture both by the court and the trial participants as impeccable in 62% of cases (below nationwide average by 16%). In 95% of cases the court did not allow rudeness or tactlessnes (matches the nationwide average rate), and in 99% of cases did not make any discriminatory comments and actions (matches the nationwide average rate). In 87% of cases the judge did not get distracted from the hearing and listened to the parties attentively (below nationwide average by 3%). In 93% of cases the participants of the trial observed ethical norms and due communication culture (below nationwide average by 1%). CULTURE OF CONDUCTING THE TRIAL IN THE WESTERN REGION 3,7 -5 0 5 REASONABLE TIME According to the assessment of the monitors, the court took efficient actions to encourage the parties to settle in 67% of those cases where it was necessary (15% above the nationwide average rate). In 15% of cases the court hearing started on time or with a delay of up to 5 minutes (below the nationwide average rate by 5%). The average delay in the beginning of the case hearings which the monitors visited amounted to 29 minutes. The reason for these delays was the practice of courts of appeal to schedule several cases for the same time. Consequently, one case was heard on schedule, and then the participants of the other hearings had to wait from 30 minutes to 4 hours. The average duration of the consideration of cases was 24 minutes. The shortest hearing was registered in a civil case (1 minute), the longest – in a criminal case (3 hours). Report on the findings of the first trial monitoring programme in Ukraine 67