The UNBA is compiling the findings of the subgroups regarding the implementation of the Rule of Law Roadmap

Today, May 28, the Ukrainian National Bar Association hosted a meeting of the Coordination Bureau of the Working Group on the implementation of the Rule of Law Roadmap regarding the reform of the advocacy profession. Following a series of meetings by thematic subgroups, the work is now moving to the stage of consolidating proposals and preparing a coordinated package of recommendations.

The meeting was chaired by the President of the UNBA, BCU Lidiya Izovitova, who reported that, based on the results of the previous stage, the subgroups held a series of meetings and submitted proposals regarding specific areas of future legal regulation of the legal profession.

In particular, the recommendations cover issues of disciplinary liability of advocates, attorney self-governance, strengthening guarantees for the practice of law, the digitalization of advocacy, and other areas identified within the scope of the Working Group’s work. Some of the proposals have already been formulated as draft provisions.

Now, the Coordination Bureau must ensure the transition from individual proposals by thematic subgroups to a coordinated package of decisions. Meeting participants discussed the procedure for further systematizing the materials, aligning the proposals with the provisions of the Rule of Law Roadmap and the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of the Professions of Lawyer, as well as preparing the findings for further professional discussion.

As a reminder, the Rule of Law Roadmap was approved by Decree No. 475-r of the Cabinet of Ministers dated May 14, 2025, «Certain issues regarding the negotiation process for Ukraine’s accession to the European Union under cluster 1: «Foundations of the EU accession process». In particular, the document provides for the development and adoption by the fourth quarter of 2026 of a draft law on improving the legal regulation of the legal profession.

In December 2025, the Bar Council of Ukraine approved the Program for implementing the Rule of Law Roadmap regarding the reform of the legal profession and established a corresponding Working Group within the UNBA. Representatives of bar self-governing bodies, members of parliament, academics, representatives of the civil society sector, and the international professional community joined the group’s work.