Identification is a blow not only to the advocate, but also to the rule of law, - V. Gvozdiy

Article 23 of the Law «On advocacy and legal practice» prohibits the identification of an advocate with a client. However, this provision is currently declarative in nature. The law on amendments to the Code of administrative offenses, which is awaiting the President's signature, makes this guarantee a reality.

This was emphasized by Valentin Gvozdiy, the Vice President of the UNBA, BCU, during the discussion «Protecting advocates from being identified with their clients: international standards and the context of Ukraine», which was organized and held on September 8 by the EU Project Pravo-Justice.

V. Gvozdiy stressed that the adopted Law No. 4547-IX only details and clarifies existing provisions. And the administrative liability for identifying an advocate with a client will allow for more effective protection of the independence of the legal profession.

The Vice President of the UNBA, BCU recalled that the practice of identifying lawyers with their clients is, unfortunately, a widespread problem in the world. Among other things, it prompted the Council of Europe to develop and adopt the Convention for the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer on March 12 this year.

«I would like to emphasize that this Convention was a response to the practice of identifying advocates with their clients in Europe, - said V. Gvozdiy, who participated in the development of the draft on behalf of Ukraine. - In the preamble to the Convention, we pointed out that advocates are increasingly subject to attacks, persecution, and intimidation for performing their professional duties. That is why there was a need to create an international legal mechanism that would strengthen the guarantees of advocates' independence».

He separately criticized the spread of manipulative statements regarding the adopted Law «On legal uncertainty (referring to the concept of «identification» - ed.) - I strongly disagree. It is written in the style of any classic administrative offense or crime. And we, as professionals, have no questions», - emphasized V. Gvozdiy.

He recalled that the UNBA immediately translated the Convention into Ukrainian. As of today, the document has been submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for review and approval as part of the signing and ratification procedure.

Finally, V. Gvozdiy emphasized the right to defense, which the Constitution of Ukraine guarantees to every person. «Advocacy will defend everyone, because we, dear colleagues, exist for this purpose. We protect people from the state. After all, the state itself has guaranteed this to people. This is the function we perform, this is how a state governed by the rule of law functions! And Ukraine, as we know, is a state governed by the rule of law, - noted the Vice President of the UNBA, BCU. - We operate on the principle of the rule of law. And therefore, every case of identifying an advocate with his client is an unspoken blow, not to the advocate, but to the rule of law».