Judge Futey to testify before Rada committee

by Yaro Bihun

WASHINGTON - As the Legal Policy Committee of the Verkhovna Rada launches a series of hearings this month on legal reforms in Ukraine, among the witnesses testifying before the panel will be U.S. Federal Judge Bohdan Futey.

Since Ukraine gained its independence, Judge Futey, who sits on the U.S. Court of Federal Claims in Washington, has on numerous occasion served as adviser and consultant on judicial and constitutional issues to the legislative, judicial and executive branches of the Ukrainian government.

Judge Futey is scheduled to testify on the question of legislative priorities on judicial reform on March 13. The committee will also hear from representatives of Ukraine's Supreme Court, the presidential administration, the Ministry of Justice, the legal profession and non-governmental organizations, as well as international organizations.

His five-day visit to Ukraine, during which he will also address and participate in other forums, is being made at the request of the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv, as part of the stated U.S. policy of assisting the democratization process in Ukraine.

Judge Futey has been actively involved in that process, working with the State Department as well as such organizations as the Judicial Conference of the United States, the American Bar Association, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems and the International Republican Institute. He has served as an official observer during Ukraine's parliamentary and presidential elections, conducted briefings for international elections observers and lectured on constitutional law at a number of universities in Ukraine and Western Europe.

The Ukrainian-born American jurist's assistance to Ukraine was acknowledged with two Ukrainian presidential meritorious awards, in 1995 and 1999.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, March 9, 2003, No. 10, Vol. LXXI

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