A translation of the report on advocacy presented to the European Parliament has been published

A translation of a research report on the Ukrainian advocacy profession in wartime, previously presented to the European Parliament in Brussels, has been published. The document is presented as a basis for discussion on the rule of law, Ukraine's European integration aspirations, and countering Russian disinformation in the legal sphere.

The report was prepared on the initiative and under the coordination of the NGO Armada in cooperation with Ukrainian and international stakeholders. The authors combined legal analysis with empirical data and an assessment of risks to institutional stability. The lead author is Greg Harper, a former member of the USA House of Representatives with many years of experience in public policy development, particularly in the areas of the rule of law, institutional capacity, and democratic governance.

The material is presented in the context of ongoing full-scale aggression by the Russian Federation, martial law, and the negotiation process on Ukraine's accession to the EU, in particular within Cluster 1, «Fundamentals of the Accession Process».

Particular emphasis is placed on the Roadmap on the rule of law, approved by Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 475-r of May 14, 2025, which is referred to as a framework and program document that formulates the goals and guidelines for reforms without imposing a specific institutional model of self-government.

The authors also analyze the practice of «shadow reporting» and note that some of the recommendations disseminated in this format go beyond the mandate of the Roadmap and replace its objectives with their own institutional projects. In the same context, the risks to the independence of the profession, institutional stability of justice, and legal security in a state of martial law are highlighted.

The report also contains conclusions with reference to the results of a sociological study entitled «The institute of advocacy in Ukraine in wartime». Analysis of empirical data did not reveal any signs of delegitimization of the UNBA: according to the authors' conclusions, the institutional stability of the advocacy profession and the high level of professional trust are preserved even in conditions of martial law. At the same time, the demand from the public and the professional community, as noted, is focused not on a radical transformation of self-government bodies, but on gradual improvement, in particular in terms of digitization of processes, strengthening internal accountability, and improving institutional communication.

«Reforming the advocacy sector is possible and necessary. At the same time, such reform must take place within the framework of the current legal model, with strict adherence to the principles of self-government, proportionality, institutional balance, and compliance with European standards», - the report says.

The report was presented on February 5 in Brussels. During the discussion, speakers raised the issue of the limits of using «shadow reports» and emphasized the need to rely on data rather than impressions when assessing the state of institutions and the direction of reforms in the advocacy sector.

A Ukrainian translation of the report is available at this link.