Corpaceova Nina
Main achievement
Ombudsman of Ukraine 1998-2012. Member of the International Ombudsman Institute. Member of the CC of the Ombudsman Institute.
About
Nina Korpaceova, born on August 12, 1957, in the city of Chadyr-Lunga in the Gagauzia region (currently the Republic of Moldova), is a remarkable Ukrainian jurist and politician, with an impressive career in the field of justice and human rights defense. A graduate of the Faculty of Law at Kyiv National University, she served as the People's Advocate (Ombudsman) of Ukraine for human rights from 1998 to 2012, being the first woman in this role. She was also a Member of Parliament in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine in the II and V convocations, a member of the High Qualification Commission of Judges, and the author of key laws, such as those on the adoption of orphaned children, the judicial procedure for adoption, and criminal liability for human trafficking. Throughout her career, Corpaceova has collaborated with institutions such as the Parliament of Ukraine, where she led committees for human rights and national minorities, the State University of Simferopol as an associate professor, as well as international organizations like the European Institute of the Ombudsman, where she was elected vice-president in 2021. She served as vice-president of the World Congress of Ukrainian Lawyers, a member of the National Coordination Council for the Prevention of Human Trafficking, and led government delegations to European and international conferences on human rights. Her achievements include initiating the National Center for the Adoption of Orphaned Children and promoting international standards in Ukrainian legislation. Coming from a family of lawyers – her father Ivan Kuzmich (1932-1984) and mother Luiza Petrovna (1933-2002) – Nina Corpaceova preferred to maintain discretion about her personal life. Her early career included roles in the Komsomol and the Communist Party, rapidly evolving towards activism for women's and minority rights, essential aspects in the context of post-Soviet Ukrainian justice. Awarded the title of "Honored Jurist of Ukraine," the Orders "For Merit," and prizes such as Yaroslav the Wise, she remains a symbol of women's contribution to promoting fair justice in Ukraine.
