Introduction. Ukraine's accession to the Council of Europe in November 1995 and subsequent ratification of the European Convention on Human Rights have meant an increase in

Ukraine's accession to the Council of Europe in November 1995 and subsequent ratification of the European Convention on Human Rights have meant an increase in attention to human rights issues at many different levels. Ukraine’s independence and its entry into the world community have seen a whole new debate take place, as a variety of social, economic and political matters are viewed in the context of international human rights law. Even amongst groups traditionally familiar with ‘rights’ language (such as non governmental organisations, academics and lawyers) debates that until now have been based on the Ukrainian Constitution are being revisited so as to take account of international human rights law.

One priority arising from this development is the need for greater familiarity with the substance and the meaning of long established human rights terminology in the languages through which this debate is principally conducted. It is in this context that this manual by Olga Kupriyevych is particularly welcome. Even as key jurisprudence and instruments begin to be translated into Ukrainian, the ability to understand human rights writing in English will continue to be key to the development of human rights education for the next generation of Ukrainian lawyers. This is why this manual, a novel combination of substantive human rights information, drawn from a variety of sources, and English language training materials, meets a critical need in Ukrainian legal education. Written in a clear fashion, the publication combines factual information with a variety of thought-provoking exercises. It is particularly welcome as an independent Ukrainian initiative, part of a wider growing professional human rights translation and publishing industry in Ukraine which complements initiatives involving external donors and project partners. The University of Nottingham Human Rights Law Centre welcomes this publication and looks forward to applying it in its on-going work implementing a Department for International Development-funded project on human rights and criminal justice in Ukraine.

Professor David Harris

Patrick Twomey

Co-Directors, University of Nottingham, Human Rights Law Centre