Customs disputes from an advocate's perspective: an academic conference was held in Dnipro

Advocates’ practical experience makes it possible to identify specific issues in customs legislation, so it should be taken into account when developing proposals to improve regulation in this area.

This was discussed during the scientific and practical conference «Customs legal relations in Ukraine: challenges in legal interpretation, lawmaking and judicial practice», which took place on July 24 in Dnipro.

The conference was held at the University of Customs and Finance. It was co-organized by the Ukrainian National Bar Association and the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Bar Council. On behalf of the UNBA, the project was coordinated by Vice Rector of the Higher School of Advocacy and Head of the UNBA Center for advocacy and legal research Iryna Vasylyk.

In her opening remarks, the President of the UNBA, BCU Lidiya Izovitova noted that the conference’s theme relates to the adaptation of Ukrainian legislation to international standards. She expressed her conviction that the discussions, analysis of judicial practice, and recommendations developed would be significant for the development of Ukrainian jurisprudence.

The conference program covered the Constitutional Court’s legal positions in cases involving customs legal relations, the development of customs legislation and judicial practice in the context of European integration, the implementation of European standards, the specifics of customs clearance of goods, the practice of resolving disputes involving customs authorities and procedural mechanisms for legal protection.

Representatives of advocacy spoke during the session dedicated to procedural issues in the adjudication of customs disputes. Advocate Dmytro Sokolov presented an analysis of the key issues for which entities engaged in foreign economic activity seek legal counsel, while advocate Viktoria Rudenko examined problematic aspects of applying customs preferences during the clearance of goods and appealing decisions by customs authorities.

Representatives of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Bar Council also joined the discussion. The conference was attended by representatives of the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court, the State Customs Service, the UNBA, the National School of Judges and the Federation of Employers of Ukraine.

As a reminder, the UNBA, the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Bar Association and the University of Customs and Finance collaborate under a trilateral memorandum of understanding. The university hosts the Center for advocacy and one of their previous joint projects was the opening of the Dnipropetrovsk Region Bar Association Museum.