With the imposition of martial law, the primary challenges for the judiciary became ensuring the protection of the life and health of judges, court staff, and participants in judicial proceedings; preserving court documents and property; and safeguarding information and information systems due to new threats stemming from hostilities on Ukrainian territory and sustained shelling.

This study analyzes the state of judicial security after the imposition of martial law in Ukraine, its constituent elements, the factors affecting it, the role of bodies and institutions of the justice system in securing judicial activity, and the specific features of the Court Security Service’s activities.

The article’s objective is to examine selected components of judicial security, identify problematic aspects, and propose improvements to the regulatory framework.

The author proposes to define judicial security as a component of state security that reflects the level of protection of the judicial system and its actors and that combines organizational, legal, informational, technical, and other measures and mechanisms aimed at ensuring the independence of the administration of justice, the proper functioning of the court system, the protection of the life and health of court personnel and participants in proceedings, and the protection of court property, documents, information, and information systems.

The necessity of establishing a Court Security Centre for bodies and institutions of the justice system is emphasized; the Centre would consider judges’ reports of interference with their judicial activities, address changes in territorial jurisdiction when a court is objectively unable to exercise justice during the imposition of martial law, a state of emergency, military operations or other extraordinary circumstances, coordinate court resumption, issue recommendations on resolving security issues, and respond to other security challenges affecting courts and justice institutions.

It is proposed that the Law of Ukraine “On the Judiciary and the Status of Judges” include a separate chapter “Judicial Security” setting out definitions of judicial security, its components and protective measures, the legal foundations for the activity of the Court Security Centre, the Court Security Service, and other key judicial security matters.

A revision of certain powers of the High Council of Justice is proposed with respect to its influence on the activities of the Court Security Service.

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