Part of the Roadmap tasks have been implemented by decisions of the bar self-government, - acting head of the HQDCB

The bar association is already implementing the Roadmap for the Rule of Law in terms of reforming advocacy. A striking example of this is the recent changes to disciplinary procedures.

This was stated by the acting head of the High Qualification and Disciplinary Commission of the bar Andriy Misyats, who is also a member of the working group on the implementation of the Roadmap, following the results of the group's inaugural meeting, according to the official website of the HQCDB.

«The disciplinary block shows that procedural guarantees and organizational standards can be strengthened at the level of regulations and procedures without waiting for legislative amendments», - he said.

As an example, he cited the reduction of risks of delays. «When reviewing disciplinary cases, the HQCDB, as before, requests materials from regional QCDB within ten days of receiving a complaint. At the same time, the QCDB of Judges are required to send the requested materials no later than three calendar days from the date of receipt of the relevant letter from the HQCDB. If the materials have not been received by the time the draft agenda is formed, the secretariat draws up a report on non-receipt, which is announced and discussed at the meeting. Separately, the regulations of the QCDB provide for the responsibility of the commission chairman for failure to comply with the deadlines for sending materials», - explained the head of the commission.

Another set of changes concerns the transparency of the proceedings. «On the websites of the disciplinary bodies, the parties have been given the opportunity to familiarize themselves with more complete information about the complaints to be considered: from the subject of the complaint to data about the complainant and advocate, information about the rapporteur, and the approximate time of the start of the proceedings, - noted A. Misyats. - This mechanism allows the parties to plan their participation and respond in advance to possible grounds for recusal».

Also, according to the acting chairman of the HQCDB, the Bar Council of Ukraine has strengthened guarantees of access to case materials. «Documents received in the case are now added to cloud storage as they are received and remain available until the end of the hearing. The secretariat is required to provide participants with remote access to the complaint, and other documents are opened as they are added», - he explained.

Another aspect is the recording and documentation of the proceedings. «The regulations now specify the content of the minutes in more detail: in addition to the formal details, it must contain a summary of the motions and the outcome of their resolution, a summary of the explanations, the sequence of actions taken by the commission, the essential points of consideration of each issue, questions and answers, as well as information about the existence of a separate opinion of a commission member», - said A. Misyats.

According to the working group member, the changes demonstrate that certain practical elements important for the modernization of the disciplinary process are already being implemented within the framework of self-governing procedures. Further work should focus on the development of coordinated legislative proposals within the time frame specified in the Roadmap.

The Roadmap on the rule of law was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers on May 14, 2025, No. 475-r. Among the tasks set out in the document is the development and adoption of a draft law on improving the legal regulation of advocacy by the fourth quarter of 2026. The Ukrainian National Bar Association has been designated as the co-implementer of the measures. By decision of the BCU No. 125 of December 12, 2025, the Program for the implementation of the Roadmap in the part concerning the reform of the advocacy was approved, and a working group was created.