Advocacy ethics rules through the eyes of European experts at a bar conference in Georgia

A Lawyer is a lawyer 24 hours a day, 7 days a week-that is the basic principle of the advocacy activity. Therefore, any statements, creation of anonymous pages and the realization of offensive comments by advocates in social networks – can be considered as disrespect for the profession and violation of the rules of advocacy ethics.

This opinion was expressed by the Chairman of the Committee on advocacy Ethics of UNBA Andriy Tsyhankov within the framework of the official delegation of the UNBA'S 7th International Bar conference in Georgia.

One of the important issues raised in the West was the issue of interpretation and adherence to the rules of advocacy ethics by advocates on social media. European colleagues noted that for many countries of Europe it is considered the norm of communication of a lawyer with clients to use messengers and social networks directly.

"It was very gratifying to feel a complete coincidence of the attitude to the rules of the advocacy ethics of European experts and the Committee on advocacy Ethics of UNBA, in particular, that is identical to the principles of work of lawyers via messengers in the electronic network" ,-said Andrei Tsyhankov.

The lawyer noted that European colleagues consider working with clients in social networks to be greatly simplifying the fee payment within the framework of advocacy activities, and therefore any lawyer should be fully responsible for the content of the posted Information on the Internet.

"A lawyer that is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week is a lawyer without any exceptions. This is the basis. Proceeding from it, European experts believe that the use of anonymous pages and the implementation of anonymous comments by advocates in social networks is nonsense, disrespect for the profession and violation of the rules of advocacy ethics. Moreover, as experts believe, a third-party observer has the right to perceive the comments and positions of the lawyer as free consultations on legal issues, because the lawyer is obliged to responsibly treat his posts and be held responsible for Compliance with the rules advocacy ethics in their formation and publication, "-said the chairman of the Committee on advocacy Ethics of UNBA.

Thus, lawyers have no reason to hide his accounts on social networks and comments, while the position that is expressed in them should be aimed at observing the rules of advocacy ethics, summarized Andriy Tsyhankov.