CRIMINAL CASES CRIMINAL CASES 28 The monitors visited 495 criminal case hearings all around Ukraine: in first instance courts – 347 hearings, 120 in courts of appeal – 120 hearings, 495 COURT HEARINGS in the High Specialized Court of Ukraine for Civil and Criminal Cases and the Supreme Court of Ukraine – 28 hearings. 347 ADHERENCE TO GENERAL RULES OF PROCEDURE 5% According to the monitors, the judges conducted the hearings in criminal cases: impeccably – in 48 % of cases; with minor violations – in 47 % of cases; THE HEARINGS IN CRIMINAL 47% CASES 48% with gross violations of the rules of procedure and/or participants’ rights – in 5 % of cases. In 90% of cases the judge considered the case wearing a robe and a badge, which is the best score as well as for the administrative courts. Judges in criminal cases verified the identity of the participants of the trial who arrived to the hearing in 94% of cases. The confidentiality of a deliberations room was observed in 93% of cases. PUBLICITY The courts posted information about the hearings on the web-site in 91% of criminal cases which were monitored. Hearing schedules were posted on the information board less often – in 78% of cases. In 99% of cases the monitors were able to get inside the room where the hearing of the criminal case took place (a courtroom or judges’ chambers). In 90% of cases the judge considered the criminal case in the courtroom, which is the best score compared to other case types. Report on the findings of the first trial monitoring programme in Ukraine 47