UNBA urged Government to extend priority vaccination on advocates

UNBA urged Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, Ministry of Health of Ukraine, and National Security and Defense Council to  extend of priority vaccination on advocates, subject to their individual consent. 

The relevant decision was made by the Bar Council of Ukraine (hereinafter – BCU) on the session on April 2 of 2021.

BCU emphasized that  judicial system continued operation during the quarantine since the constitutional right to judicial protection must not be restricted even in the state of emergency.

At the same time, the State Judicial Administration of Ukraine in a letter dated March 20, 2020, № 14-5711/20 noted that the institutions of the justice system can be classified as institutions at risk of coronavirus infection, and the Council of Judges of Ukraine in a letter dated March 16, 2020, № 9-rs- 186/20 recommended that courts introduce a special regime of courts for the period of quarantine measures.

Despite the introduction of quarantine and the epidemic situation in Ukraine due to the spread of acute respiratory illness COVID-19 caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, attorneys have performed and continue to perform their professional duties, including providing legal assistance. Thus, attorneys did not stop for a single day, even during periods of rapid growth in the incidence of acute respiratory disease COVID-19 caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.

The Bar Council of Ukraine stressed that only during the last week of March 2021 it became known about the death of two practicing attorneys from this disease. Many attorneys have contracted acute respiratory illness COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus in connection with their professional duties, as the attorney`s work is directly related to daily communication with clients, law enforcement officers, judges, experts, witnesses, constant movement by regions, visiting remand centers, colonies, hospitals, etc.

On February 8, 2021, UNBA and the BCU addressed Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine with a request to include attorneys in the list of persons subject to priority vaccination (letter № 153/0 / 2-21 of 08.02.0221). However, the UNBA did not receive a response to this letter.

After discussing the situation, BCU decided to send a second appeal to the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, the National Security and Defense Council to include attorneys in the priority vaccination register.