Nowy program Letnia Szkoła Międzynarodowego Prawa Karnego · 7–11 września 2026 Aplikuj →

Tag: news

instagram POZNAŃ
Webinar

Poznań: Spotkanie z cyklu “Sprawiedliwość w czasie wojny — od dokumentacji do odpowiedzialności”

On May 25 this year, a meeting with students entitled “Justice in Wartime” was held at the Faculty of Law and Administration of Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań. During the event, participants watched the documentary “In Your Name – Justice in Wartime”, which presents how the Ukrainian justice system operates during wartime.

The screening was followed by a discussion featuring the Consul General of Ukraine in Poznań, Mr. Serhii Miniailo, Supreme Court Judge Prof. Paweł Wiliński, and Dr. Andriy Kosylo, Member of the Board of the Sunflowers Foundation. The discussion addressed important issues related to the functioning of the justice system during war, as well as bringing perpetrators of war crimes and other international crimes to justice.

The event was another meeting in a series of student discussions organized by the Sunflowers Foundation, the EU Pravo-Justice Project, and ELSA Poland. The partner of the event was the Faculty of Law and Administration of Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań. The media partner was Prawo.pl. The event was held under the honorary patronage of the Ambassador of Ukraine to the Republic of Poland, Mr. Vasyl Bodnar.

instagram WROCLAW
Webinar

Wrocław: Spotkanie z cyklu “Sprawiedliwość w czasie wojny — od dokumentacji do odpowiedzialności”

21 maja 2026 r., jako wydarzenie towarzyszące międzynarodowej konferencji „Przyszłość już tu jest. Polska–Ukraina–Europa: nowy paradygmat”, we Wrocławiu odbył się wykład poświęcony odpowiedzialności za zbrodnie popełniane w czasie konfliktów zbrojnych. Konferencja zgromadziła przedstawicieli środowiska akademickiego, administracji publicznej, organizacji społecznych oraz studentów z Polski, Ukrainy i innych krajów europejskich.

W spotkaniu uczestniczyli zarówno uczestnicy konferencji, jak i studenci zainteresowani problematyką międzynarodowego prawa karnego. Wykład pt. „Kto i jak rozliczy zbrodnie czasu wojny?” poprowadziła dr Ewa Hofmańska, przedstawiając mechanizmy ścigania sprawców najpoważniejszych zbrodni międzynarodowych, rolę sądów krajowych i międzynarodowych oraz wyzwania związane z dokumentowaniem i rozliczaniem zbrodni popełnianych w związku z agresją Rosji przeciwko Ukrainie.

Spotkanie stworzyło przestrzeń do dyskusji o sprawiedliwości, odpowiedzialności i znaczeniu prawa międzynarodowego w obliczu współczesnych konfliktów zbrojnych, wpisując się w szerszą debatę o przyszłości Europy i powojennej odbudowie ładu międzynarodowego.
instagram UW
Webinar

Warszawa: Spotkanie z cyklu “Sprawiedliwość w czasie wojny. Od dokumentacji do odpowiedzialności

12 maja w Warszawie Fundacja Słoneczniki zainaugurowała nową serię spotkań ze studentami. Wydarzenie poświęcone było wyzwaniom związanym z dokumentowaniem i ściganiem zbrodni międzynarodowych popełnionych podczas wojny na Ukrainie, a także roli prawników i środowisk akademickich we wspieraniu działań na rzecz sprawiedliwości i pociągnięcia sprawców do odpowiedzialności.

W dyskusji wzięli udział Olha Sribniak z finansowanej przez UE organizacji Pravo-Justice oraz profesor Paweł Wiliński, sędzia Sądu Najwyższego i przewodniczący Rady Fundacji Słoneczniki. Spotkanie było również okazją do omówienia zaangażowania studentów i młodych prawników w inicjatywy wspierające sprawiedliwość i pociąganie do odpowiedzialności za zbrodnie wojenne.

News

Justice in Times of War: Academic Event Series for Law Students Launches Across Poland

“Justice in Times of War: From Documentation to Accountability” is a series of academic events organized by the Foundation Sunflowers and hosted at law faculties across Poland. The initiative is designed for law students and aims to explore the challenges faced by the justice system in situations of armed conflict, with a particular focus on the experience of Ukraine. 

Each event features a screening of a documentary film portraying the work of Ukrainian judges during wartime, offering a unique insight into the functioning of the judiciary under extreme conditions, including the documentation and adjudication of international crimes.  

The screening is followed by a moderated discussion addressing key issues such as the need to support the Ukrainian justice system, the ethical responsibilities of judges in times of war, and the role of the international legal community in ensuring accountability for war crimes. The events are interactive and provide a platform for dialogue between students and experts. 

The series is held under the honorary patronage of the Ambassador of Ukraine to Poland, Mr. Vasyl Bodnar, highlighting the importance and timeliness of the initiative. Co-organizers of the series of events are the EU Project Pravo-Justice (producer of the documentary), Wolters Kluwer Polska and European Law Students’ Association ELSA-Poland. The media patron of the initiative is Prawo.pl. 

Each meeting concludes with a brief presentation of the Project’s Sunflowers activities as an example of a legal initiative supporting international justice and raising awareness of legal responses to armed conflict. 

News

“From Documentation to Accountability” – Supporting Ukrainian Justice in Prosecuting War Crimes

The conference “From Documentation to Accountability – Supporting the Ukrainian Justice System in Prosecuting Crimes Committed in Ukraine” brought together representatives of the Polish and Ukrainian justice systems, legal professionals, academics, and civil society to discuss practical and systemic challenges related to documenting and prosecuting war crimes committed in Ukraine.

The event was opened by Waldemar Żurek, Minister of Justice of Poland, Vasyl Bodnar, Ambassador of Ukraine to Poland, Włodzimierz Chróścik, President of the Krajowa Izba Radców Prawnych as the co-organizer of the conference, and Andriy Kosylo, Member of the Executive Board of the Foundation Sunflowers.
In his opening remarks, Andriy Kosylo invited participants to observe a minute of silence to honor the victims of the war in Ukraine — a solemn moment that set the tone for the discussions that followed.

The substantive part of the conference began with a screening of the documentary film “In Your Name: Justice in Wartime”, produced by the EU project Pravo-Justice. The film portrays the daily work and extraordinary challenges faced by Ukrainian judges administering justice during wartime. Before the screening, Olha Sribniak of the Pravo-Justice Project shared insights into the making of the documentary and the context behind its production.

The panel discussion that followed gathered distinguished experts and practitioners, including Deputy General Prosecutor of Poland Jacek Bilewicz, Professor Ewelina Cała-Wacinkiewicz  of the National Council of Attorneys-at-Law, Judge of the Supreme Court Prof. Paweł Wiliński, who is the Chair of the Council of the Foundation Sunflowers, Olha Sribniak, Judge Dr. Maryna Bondarenko (joining online), Prof. Oksana Kvasha from the High Council of Justice of Ukraine, Jarosław Bittel – Head of the Lemkin Centre, and Myroslava Keryk from the Ukrainian House Foundation.

The discussion was moderated by journalist Bianka Zalewska, who guided the debate on accountability mechanisms, international cooperation, evidentiary standards, and the institutional resilience of the Ukrainian judiciary.

Participants included representatives of the Polish and Ukrainian justice systems, prosecutors, advocates, attorneys-at-law, institutions documenting crimes committed in Ukraine, members of the academic community in Poland, and non-governmental organizations engaged in rule of law and human rights protection.

The media patron of the event was Prawo.pl, and the venue was provided by the Polska Izba Rzeczników Patentowych.

The conference created an important platform for dialogue and reaffirmed the shared commitment of Polish and Ukrainian partners to strengthening accountability, supporting judicial independence, and ensuring justice for victims of war crimes.

Photo courtesy of The National Bar of Attorneys-at-Law (Krajowa Izba Radców Prawnych)

The conference program.

News

The Foundation Sunflowers’ position on the proposed amendment to Article 113 of the (Polish) Criminal Code

The Foundation Sunflowers took part in public consultations on the proposed amendment to Article 113 of the Criminal Code, which defines universal jurisdiction. The content of the position is provided below.
News

Dr Ewa Hofmańska Honored with the Ewa Bieńkowska Award 2025

Ewa Hofmańska, creator of Project Sunflowers – the winner of the Ewa Bieńkowska Award for activities supporting victims of crime victims
 
We are delighted and proud to announce that Dr Ewa Hofmańska, President of the Executive Board of the Foundation Sunflowers, which implements Project Sunflowers, received the 2025 Ewa Bieńkowska Award!  The Ewa Bieńkowska Award is a competition organised by the Crime Victims Support Foundation, which recognises the best practical actions to help these victims. On 18 November, the award was presented at the Raising Stars – Leaders of Tomorrow gala in Warsaw, Poland. 
 
Ewa Hofmańska received this award for establishing and developing Project Sunflower, i.e. building a system of assistance for victims of war in Ukraine, reliably documenting crimes and human rights violations, and creating a secure mechanism for reporting war crimes; for spreading awareness about the rights of victims of war and for increasing social sensitivity to wrongdoing.
 
The award was received on behalf of Ewa Hofmańska by Professor Paweł Wiliński, Chairman of the Foundation Sunflowers Council.
 
Heartfelt congratulations!
News

Professors Paweł Wiliński and Piotr Hofmański at the International Criminal Justice Conference in Japan

On 6–7 November 2025, Professor Paweł Wiliński, Chairman of the Foundation Sunflowers Council, will take part in the conference “The International Criminal Justice in the Divided World”, organised jointly by the Centre for International Law and Policy at Tohoku University and the Kraków Centre for International Criminal Justice at the Jagiellonian University.

During the event, Professor Wiliński will deliver a paper titled “The Limitations of the ICC’s Effectiveness in Cases where Conflict is still Ongoing (Ukraine and Palestine)”. His presentation will also serve as an opportunity to introduce the Project Sunflowers to the international audience. 
 

The conference will also feature Professor Piotr HofmańskiAmbassador of the Foundation Sunflowers, who will present a paper on “The Role of the UN Security Council: A Straight Path to the Destruction of the System of the Rome Statute. Is It Possible to Repair a Defective Element?”.