EUAM urges Ukrainian prosecutors to become ‘truth seekers’ in court

May 15, 2020

Up to 100 prosecutors from western regions of Ukraine yesterday joined a webinar on courtroom advocacy, conducted by experts at EUAM’s Field Office Lviv. Good public speaking skills is an effective technique to present evidence, address a court persuasively and present a case in a manner which is clear, structured and efficient. 

Courtroom advocacy, the art of persuasion needed by prosecutors, is used in this sense to describe the skills needed by prosecutors to present evidence and cross examine witnesses taking the stand during courtroom trials. Among the main topics of the webinar were how to become a good speaker and maintain a trustful contact with an audience, and how to be persuasive and overcome stress.

EUAM has already delivered a number of advocacy training events for prosecutors across Ukraine, assisting them to present cases to the court in a structured and logical way. The public speaking skills are to a large extent based on the ancient fundamentals of rhetoric, and Aristotle’s modes of persuasion: ethos, logos, and pathos.  

“The most important resource we possess is our integrity, which in turn leads to the trust we earn in society. Courts believe truth seekers, not game players,” said Helena Lundgren, EUAM Senior Advisor on Prosecution. “Courtroom advocacy is an important skill. Preserving our integrity as professional prosecutors allows us to take pride in what we do and encourages public trust.”