The Verkhovna Rada is preparing a bill to implement the Convention on the Protection of the Professions of Lawyer

Members of Parliament plan to introduce a bill in the near future to implement the main provisions of the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of the Professions of Lawyer. This parliamentary initiative may also prompt the government to expedite the preparation of the ratification package.

This was noted by chairman of the Subcommittee on political reform and constitutional law of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on legal policy Maksym Dyrdin during a roundtable discussion titled «The Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of the Professions of Lawyer: a future part of Ukrainian legislation».

In June, during a meeting of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on legal policy, participants discussed the preparation of legislative amendments required in connection with the signing of the Convention. According to the MP, the final text of the bill on the implementation of the main provisions of the Convention is ready and will soon be registered with Parliament.

At the same time, the government is finalizing its part of the process. The Ministry of Justice and the Cabinet of Ministers are preparing a draft that the President will submit to the Verkhovna Rada for ratification of the Convention. According to the MP, the registration of the parliamentary bill may prompt the ministry to work more actively on the ratification package.

Ukraine signed the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of the Professions of Lawyer on March 9. The document establishes guarantees for the independence of advocates and professional associations, the preservation of professional secrecy, and protection against undue interference. For the Convention to enter into force, eight ratifications are required, including at least six by member states of the Council of Europe.