Advocates are urged to withdraw from public councils of law enforcement authorities

The UNBA Committee on protection of advocates’ rights and professional guarantees urged advocates to withdraw from public councils of law enforcement authorities as a sign of protest against the violation of their professional rights. This decision was taken during the open meeting of the Committee.

"To propose MPs of Ukraine, who have a status of an advocate, to make immediate amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine in strengthening guarantees of practice of law”, – stated the Committee.

The proposal to hold such a demarche was made by Mr Yevgen Solodko, Deputy Head of the Committee.

"I propose that the colleagues call off all our representatives in public councils of all law enforcement authorities. We are not needed there. They just do not hear us. The Prosecutor General's Office has not convened public council for about six months, while in the NABU council our participation is purely nominal, just to show that the quota of representation was complied with. We must make a demarche and leave the public councils of all law enforcement authorities", - said the advocate.

The Committee members plan to appeal to MPs of Ukraine, who are advocates, with a request for making immediate amendments to the CPC of Ukraine in strengthening guarantees of practice of law.

Following the discussion of violation of advocates’ rights and particular cases, the Committee also decided to initiate making amendments to part 2 of Article 6 of the Law of Ukraine "On the Bar and Practice of Law".

The Committee recommended that the regional bar councils give special attention, during the conduct of training seminars for advocates, to advocate’s actions during their searches.