BCU recognized an attempt to convene illegal conference of advocates of Kyiv City as illegitimate

The Bar Council of Ukraine recognized that the meeting of lawyers, which took place in Kyiv on October 7, 2017, fell short from the definition of a conference of advocates of the region. Decisions adopted at such a meeting have no legal consequences.

This is stated in the BCU decision No. 227 as of November 15, 2017, "Concerning issues that arose in connection with the meeting called 'Reporting and Election Conference of Kyiv City advocates' on October 7, 2017.

The relevant meeting was held without representational quota set by the Bar Council of Ukraine, as well as without approved procedure of nomination and election of conference delegates, and without approved Rules of Procedure. Thus, the meeting did not conform to the provision of the Law 'On the Bar and Practice of Law' (Arts. 47, 55) and binding decisions of the BCU.

Besides that, the initiator of the said meeting, Inna Rafalska, had no right to practice law and participate advocates' self-government, because her license was suspended on 17 August 2017. This is another proof that she assumed powers of the Chair of the Kyiv City Bar Council, by way of sending to the Bar Council of Ukraine the 'Protocol of the Reporting and Election Conference of Kyiv City Advocates as of October 7, 2017.'

In connection therewith, the BCU, by way of its another decision, refused to issue Mrs. Rafalska the password for administrative access to Kyiv City Bar Council section of Unified Register of Advocates of Ukraine, since she was not properly authorized.

The Bar Council of Ukraine also decided to address law enforcement agencies and courts in Kyiv City to refute the information provided by Mrs. Rafalska in her letters to them. She also baselessly claimed that Kyiv City Bar Council of Kyiv was elected anew, and called offal the powers of attorney issued to Petro Riabenko, incumbent Chair of the Kyiv City Bar Council. Also, BCU continually asserts that excerpts from URAU issued and signed by Mrs. Rafalska are null and void.

The BCU maintains that Kyiv Bar Council was formed at the conference of advocates of the region on October 8, 2016, and continues its work without any interruptions. The second-level URAU administrator is Petrj Riabenko, incumbent Chair of the Kyiv City Bar Council.

Given that, the BCU also decided to address QDCB of Kyiv City with complaints against inappropriate behavior of  some advocates, that, contrary to the law and decisions of the BCU, knowing full-well about the legitimate status of the Kyiv City Bar Council and QDCB of Kyiv City, agreed to be allegedly elected to the advocates' self-government at a meeting that did not have the status of the conference.