There are almost 62,000 attorneys in Ukraine
During three summer months 854 attorneys joined the legal profession.
As of September 1, 2021, 61,802 attorneys are registered in the Unified Register of Attorneys of Ukraine. Among them 45,659 attorneys actually operate.
This was announced by Deputy Head of UNBA, BCU Valentyn Hvozdiy during a meeting of the Bar Council of Ukraine on September 10-11, 2021 in Chernivtsi.
"Our organization becomes stronger when there are more of us, and when we are reckoned with. We do not aim to catch up with the size of the organization - it all happens naturally. People choose the profession of the attorney and it is very good," Valentyn Hvozdiy said.
He also noted that recently the number of registrations of attorneys in the personal office has increased rapidly. Thus, for almost a year, since November 2020, the number of people using this service has increased by more than 5.5 thousand: from 23,869 to 29,396 attorneys.
"Of the 45,000 real attorneys, almost 30,000 are registered online – this is a huge success. Back in 2013-2014, many of the attorneys did not even have an e-mail, and now all are online, and in a very short time. We continue to work on this, " the Deputy Head of UNBA, BCU said.
At the same time, statistics on the gender distribution remain disappointing. As before, there are more men than women in the bar - 61.8% against 38.2%.
"We are working on it. As you can see, we have intensified the work of the Gender Policy Committee to promote the legal practice among young female students. Many persons are afraid of going to the profession because they associate it with pre-trial detention, crime, and prison. Our goal is to say that this is not the case and there are many other types of legal aid. In addition, we are working to ensure that more women participate in the work of bar self-government bodies, because gender balance is the key to normal, healthy work of any organization in society and we pay great attention to it, " - Valentyn Hvozdiy said.
Popular news
Legislation
A bill implementing the Convention on the Protection of the Professions of Lawyer has been introduced
The constitutional guarantees of legal aid, defense, and the independence of advocacy cannot be realized without protecting advocates from unwarranted interference in their professional activities, including searches, the seizure of professional materials and the use of criminal procedural mechanisms to exert pressure.
Abroad
The CCBE is discussing European justice and issues related to the protection of advocates
Today, October 2, a meeting of the Standing Committee of the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE) is taking place in Brussels. On the agenda are the protection of the advocate profession, the rule of law, attorney-client privilege, and changes in the European justice system.
Rule of Law Roadmap
The UNBA presented the key provisions of the future law on advocacy in Brussels
The Ukrainian National Bar Association presented its proposals for the upcoming law on advocacy, aligned with the Rule of Law Roadmap. The presentation covered topics such as access to the profession, self-governance, disciplinary procedures, professional development and guarantees for the practice of advocacy.
Educational events
Advocates were taught to voice their complaints without making accusations
In a difficult conversation, it’s easy to confuse facts with opinions, feelings with accusations, and requests with demands. How can you express dissatisfaction, explain your own needs, and propose a specific solution while still allowing your conversation partner the opportunity to refuse or suggest an alternative?
Guarantees of the practice of law
Search of an advocate's office after client's acquittal: criminal complaint filed
In Kyiv, law enforcement officers conducted a search of the home of an advocate who had defended a client acquitted by the court and seized materials from the advocate’s case file. The proceedings were initiated shortly after the acquittal, even though the document they were searching for was already included in the court case file.
Guarantees of the practice of law
The paradoxes of urgency: is it possible to investigate a crime before it is committed?
On September 24 in Kyiv, National Police officers detained an advocate during an emergency search, having caught him in the act of committing a crime. At the time, the pretrial investigation in this case had already been ongoing for more than four months.
Guarantees of the practice of law
A side effect of the video conference: the judge mistook the sound of a chair for the advocate's response
Technology also has its downsides. The High Council of Justice acquitted a judge who failed to hear the advocates during court proceedings in a civil case. One of the arguments presented to the disciplinary body was poor connectivity, the risks of which are borne by the participants.
Guarantees of the practice of law
Unrestricted access to advocates' accounts poses a risk of client data disclosure — BCU
Information regarding transactions in the bank accounts of an advocate, a law firm, or a bar association from which clients can be identified, as well as the fact and subject matter of a request for legal assistance, the purpose of payments, and the amount of the fee constitutes attorney-client privilege. This rule applies regardless of whether the information also constitutes banking information and is in the possession of a bank.
Publications
Vasyl Kolishnyi, «Law and Business» Supporting mental health should become part of the professional culture of the Bar, - H. Udovenko
Volodymyr Matsko Extradition during wartime: when the risks outweigh the request
Volodymyr Matsko Extradition as a systemic form of rights violations
Victoria Yakusha, Law and Business The anti-corruption vertical cannot «take care» of the Bar as an institution, - acting head of the HQDCB
Censor.net Protecting advocates – protecting justice: addressing concerns about the new law
Ihor Kolesnykov A BRIEF SUMMARY REGARDING THE APPLICATION OF THE ORDER ON EXTENDED CONFISCATION IN LATVIA REGARDING FINANCIAL ASSETS OF…
Valentyn Gvozdiy WORKING IN A WAR ZONE
Lydia Izovitova Formula of perfection