Ukraine should be one of the first to ratify the Convention on the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer - V. Gvozdiy

Ukraine definitely needs to be among the countries that will be the first to ratify the Convention on the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer, adopted by the Council of Europe on March 12, in order to confirm its status as a legal and democratic state.
This opinion was expressed by Valentyn Gvozdiy, the Vice President of the Ukrainian National Bar Association, the Bar Council of Ukraine, who was directly involved in the development of the draft document.
On March 12, 2025, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe adopted the world's first Convention on the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer by its historic decision. It is planned that the Convention will become open for signature and ratification on May 13, 2025.
«For the legal community, this step is extremely important, because all existing standards directly related to the legal profession are currently not binding, - he said. - Therefore, ensuring compliance with these standards is a difficult task even in countries with strong legal protection of lawyers».
According to V. Gvozdiy, it is important that the Convention can be signed and ratified not only by Council of Europe members but also by non-member states. The Convention will enter into force 3 months after it is signed and ratified by at least eight countries, six of which must be members of the Council of Europe.
The Convention reflects and protects the fundamental role that lawyers and professional associations of lawyers play in promoting the rule of law, ensuring access to justice and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms, in these challenging times when lawyers are increasingly subject to attacks, threats, harassment and intimidation, as well as unlawful obstruction or interference with the exercise of their legitimate professional activities, which is reprehensible.
The Convention was drafted taking into account the wide variety of legal systems and ways of organizing the legal profession in the Council of Europe member states.
The document emphasizes the importance of the existence of independent professional associations of lawyers in democratic countries for the proper protection of members of the legal profession from persecution and unlawful restrictions and harassment, as well as for ensuring equal access to the profession for all those who wish to become lawyers. The Convention pays particular attention to the confidentiality of the relationship between lawyer and client, which is crucial to the exercise of the legal profession and therefore deserves special protection from unlawful interference by the authorities, as such interference undermines the independence of the legal profession and the effective functioning of the rule of law.
Representatives of the Committee of Experts on the Protection of Lawyers, which was established in January 2022, worked on the text of the Convention and its report for 3 years. V. Gvozdiy was selected by the European Committee on Legal Cooperation to be a member of this Committee with the authority to represent Ukraine for the period of the Committee's work. He also held the position of Vice President of the Committee for the entire period of its work.
«As Vice President of the Committee, I was able to demonstrate that, despite everything, Ukraine has high standards of justice, ensures compliance with the rule of law and protection of human rights. Undoubtedly, the many years of active work of the Ukrainian Bar, in particular in the field of protection of the rights of lawyers and guarantees of the practice of law, really showed the international community that the legal regulation of the legal profession in Ukraine is based on European standards, - he said. – During the work on the Convention, all members of the Committee and observers really had the opportunity to make sure that Ukraine demonstrates its commitment to the rule of law and helps the bar self-government to ensure highly effective mechanisms for the protection of the legal profession».
According to the Vice President of UNBA, BCU, Ukraine's leadership in creating such a crucial document demonstrates the unconditional legal maturity of our country. «Even under the pressure of serious challenges in the context of Russian aggression, Ukraine demonstrates resilience and readiness for active actions in the process of implementing the provisions of the Convention for the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer, given the high degree of compliance of Ukrainian legislation on the Bar with the main international and European standards», - said V. Gvozdiy.
«The UNBA believes that given its proactive position on the path to membership in the European Union, Ukraine should definitely be among the countries that will be the first to ratify this Convention to confirm its status as a legal and democratic state», - he summarized.
Popular news

Advocacy
«Military advocates» have nothing to do with advocacy – UNBA statement
The activities of the «military advocates» who forcefully «repel» mobilized persons liable for military service in the TCC have nothing to do with legal practice based on the principles of the rule of law and legality.

Advocacy
Commentary to the Council of Europe Convention on the protection of the profession of lawyer translated into Ukrainian
Along with the Convention on the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe also approved an explanatory report to it. This document is a kind of official commentary to be used by countries in the application of the international treaty.

Advocacy
«The Convention will enhance the quality of human protection from criminal prosecution», - Valentyn Gvozdiy, the Vic…
Recently, the Council of Europe adopted the Convention on the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer, an international treaty that guarantees the independence, security and self-governance of lawyers. The latter call it a key step towards strengthening the rule of law. But what does this mean in practice, why is the Convention of extraordinary value - these and other questions were answered by Valentyn Gvozdiy, the Vice President of the UNBA, BCU, to the host of Fakty ICTV.

Advocacy
Ratification of the Convention on the protection of the legal profession will strengthen the legal system – UNBA
The Ukrainian National Bar Association has called on MPs and relevant ministries to ensure the expedited signing and ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer by Ukraine.

Advocacy
The BCU declared inadmissible the reorganization of the Odesa Law Academy
The Bar Council of Ukraine considers it appropriate to support the preservation of the National University Odesa Law Academy as an independent university, whose decades-long traditions and high standards of education and academic independence determine its distinctive uniqueness.

Advocacy
Ukraine should be one of the first to ratify the Convention on the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer - V. Gvozdiy
Ukraine definitely needs to be among the countries that will be the first to ratify the Convention on the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer, adopted by the Council of Europe on March 12, in order to confirm its status as a legal and democratic state.

Advocacy
Convention on the protection of the profession of advocate adopted by the Council of Europe
The Council of Europe at its 1522nd meeting, held on March 11 and 12, 2025, adopted the Council of Europe Convention for the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer.

Advocacy
European Presidents Conference 2025: Challenges to the Rule of Law by Lidiya Izovitova
Against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine and the discussion of guarantees of its security, there is a growing militarization of political discourse not only in Ukraine but also in European countries. In the context of martial law, the issue of reforming the military justice system, including the possibility of creating an institute of military advocacy, has become particularly relevant.
Publications

Ihor Kolesnykov A BRIEF SUMMARY REGARDING THE APPLICATION OF THE ORDER ON EXTENDED CONFISCATION IN LATVIA REGARDING FINANCIAL ASSETS OF…

Valentyn Gvozdiy WORKING IN A WAR ZONE

Lydia Izovitova Formula of perfection

Sergiy Vylkov Our judicial system is so built that courts do not trust advocates

Iryna Vasylyk Advocacy in the proclamation of Independence of Ukraine

Oleksandr DULSKY When we cross the border of the Supreme Anti-Corruption Court, we get into another department of the National Anti-Corruption…

Vadym Krasnyk The UNBA will work, and all obstacles and restrictions are only temporary inconveniences

Lydia Izovitova Interview with Lydia Izovitova on the occasion of the 8th anniversary of the founding of UNBA: We are the voice of t…