The Committee on Protection of Advocates’ Rights initiates a series of debates “Defend the Defender”

The UNBA Committee on Protection of Advocates’ Professional Rights and Guarantees launches a large-scale project “Defend the Defender”. For this purpose a discussion platform to discuss a wide range of professional issues, related to the protection of advocates’ rights and guarantees, will be created.

The discussion platform will allow anyone, who has a different point of view as to the protection of the advocates’ rights and guarantees, to prove their position in a fair discussion and get a deserved victory.

“The project aims to revive the oratory traditions, adhering to high intellectual level of discussions on topical issues of legal profession in Ukraine and society in general. This kind of professional discussions will boost confidence in the bar institution as such, raise its prestige and social value”, - says the Committee Head Hanna Boriak.

The Committee has immediately proposed to regulate the debates by rules as to the choice of topics, format, number of participants, etc.

Rules for conducting discussions

The Committee on Protection of Advocates’ Professional Rights and Guarantees receives an initiative to hold the debate in a form of reasonably supported position of its initiator. The list of participating members and experts shall be attached thereto.

The Committee invites persons proposed by the initiator to the discussion with the appropriate notification in the media and/or social networks.

Each of the panelists (hereinafter – the speaker) has the right to team support. The speaker’s team can consist of not more than three members.

The authoritative public officials and community leaders, and/or representatives of the legal profession that have earned the respect and trust, and have worked in the legal profession for at least 30 years, are invited to participate in the discussion. Such persons will be given the referee status. The experts may also be invited to participate.

The public discussion begins with the moderator’s announcement of discussion topic and participants present.

The speakers are given not more than 10 minutes to present their positions.

The speaker may be asked questions in the following order: the opposing speaker, the members of his/her team, experts and referee. The questions shall relate to the discussion topic only.

Based on the questions asked and answers given, the speaker’s team receives the right to speak, - no more than 5 minutes each.

The opposing speaker shall act under the provisions of paragraphs 7 and 8.

The discussion moderator monitors the compliance by the participants with the discussion rules and has the right to disqualify the members, as well as to deprive them of their voting rights in case of violation of the said rules.

The invited experts may express their views on the position taken by the speaker and his/her team.

The right to summarize the discussion and announce the winners is given to the referee.

Based on the results of the discussion, the information about the winner is published. The latter can receive the award for the best speech and the ability to persuade.