Meeting of Kyiv City Advocates of September 20 has no authority to establish self-government bodies

The meeting of advocates, of which the Bar Council of Ukraine was notified by the advocate Valentyn Stepiuk, and which was scheduled to be held on September 20 at 17:00 in the conference hall of UBI Fashion Center at the address 8 Dorohozhytska Street, had no authority to form the bar self-government bodies.

This “fake” meeting and the conference to which this meeting has planned to elect delegates are conducted contrary to the Law “On the Bar and Practice of Law” and the BCU decisions.

Notifying of such “meeting of advocates”, the author of communication does not provide the Bar Council of Ukraine with the text of decision on holding a meeting and a conference by a duly authorized body. Currently, this is the Kyiv City Bar Council, elected in October 2016.

The BCU draws attention to the fact that in order to conduct the regional conferences the BCU shall first approve the rules, the procedure and quota of representation by its decision. Such a decision may be taken at the request of the regional bar council. At present, the Kyiv City Bar Council, elected in October 2016, did not address the BCU for holding a meeting and a conference of advocates on these dates.

There is no decision on holding the meeting on September 20 and the conference on October 7, likewise there is no decision of the legitimate Kyiv City Bar Council to convene such a conference on these dates.

“Thus, the fake meeting of advocates, held on September 20 in Kyiv, is not a proper meeting within the meaning of the Law “On the Bar and Practice of Law”, has been conducted without BCU decisions, the approved regulations, etc., and has no authority to form the self-government bodies”, — emphasized the UNBA, BCU President Lidiia Izovitova.

Since similar actions have already been taken in order to mislead the bar community of the city by organizations that have illegally assumed the names and powers of self-government bodies, the BCU will make reference to the law enforcement agencies and send disciplinary complaints against the advocates, who organize such pseudostructures in the capital.