This article addresses the large number of cases brought by Ukraine before different international courts and tribunals against the Russian Federation following the inclusion of Crimea in Russia and the military conflicts in Eastern Ukraine that ensued. The initiation of numerous legal proceedings is presented as a part of an overall Ukrainian strategy to respond to the loss of Crimea, both in order to obtain specific legal remedies and to draw international attention to its cause. The characteristics of the Ukrainian-Russian proceedings that stem from the political significance of this conflict are addressed. The implications of these cases for international law, and the constraints on the existing system of international justice that have been revealed are also evaluated. It is shown that Ukraine often faces difficulties establishing a jurisdictional basis for its claims. Russia's reluctance to submit the disputes to examination by international courts, manifested in its frequent challenging of their jurisdiction, is explained both by the fact that it is aware of its violations and anticipates adverse judgments, and that it may regard such courts as somewhat hostile towards it. These phenomena are analysed in the larger context of the trend in international politics towards a declining trust in international cooperation.

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The present article outlines the most significant stages in the gradual development of international law towards a recognition of a right to information. It explores the instruments and judicial decisions in which this right has been acknowledged as well as the conditions under which it may be exercised including the categories of requesters entitled to it, the kinds of information that may be accessed and the purposes of such access. The article further examines the manifold and often conflicting aspects of the right to information and its relation to concepts such as democracy, security, freedom of expression, right to private life, corporate secrets, investigating journalism and whistleblowers. In particular, it analyses the importance of the access to information about the exercise of political power by public authorities and the crucial role it should play in enabling wellfunctioning democratic societies where responsible government, public scrutiny over the political processes and a right to an informed participation in public affairs is effectively guaranteed to all citizens. However, the risks that the public access to information poses to national security and to the well-recognized right to private life are also taken into account.