The Ombudsman is concerned about the state of the FLA system
The Secretariat of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights is ready to join the development of proposals for amendments to the legal acts developed by the Ukrainian National Bar Association that will improve the functioning of the free legal aid system.
The UNBA was informed about this by the Ombudsman's Office after studying the Report on topical issues of the functioning of the legal aid system in Ukraine, which was presented last week.
The report demonstrates the cause-and-effect relationships that determine the existence of problems in the FLA system and effective ways to solve them, in particular in terms of monitoring the quality of FLA provision, distribution and execution of secondary assistance orders, payment for lawyers' services, appointment of defense counsel to participate in a separate procedural action, as well as in criminal proceedings in absentia, identification of a lawyer with a client, termination of legal aid in suspended criminal proceedings.
Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets expressed his gratitude for the position formed on the basis of the analysis. He is also concerned about the conclusions regarding violations of the rights of lawyers providing free legal aid, as well as the problems that arise during the functioning of the FLA system.
Lidiya Izovitova, the President of the UNBA,BCU has previously noted the need for legislative changes and the introduction of a different organizational model of the legal aid system.
As a reminder, a pilot project on providing professional legal aid to citizens has recently been launched in Zakarpattia, Dnipro, Ivano-Frankivsk, Rivne and Khmelnytskyi regions under the Memorandum of Cooperation signed between the Ombudsman and the Ukrainian National Bar Association.
Popular news
URAU
Access to advocate contacts in URAU has been restored
The Bar Council of Ukraine has opened up public access to data from the Unified Register of Advocates of Ukraine, which was closed at the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022. The decision was made at a meeting on December 12–13.
Self-government
Members of the QDCB are not required to submit declarations - BCU
Bar Council of Ukraine examined the legal status of members of bar self-government bodies and found that they are not required to submit declarations of persons authorized to perform functions of state or local self-government.
Self-government
BCU has identified 12 areas for implementing the Roadmap for advocacy
During its meeting on December 12, the Bar Council of Ukraine considered the Roadmap on the Rule of Law, approved by Order of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 475-r dated May 14, 2025. The document provides for the development and adoption of a draft law on improving the legal regulation of advocacy by the fourth quarter of 2026.
Guarantees of the practice of law
The Ombudsman acknowledged the problem of violation of the human right to legal aid in the TCC
The Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for human rights Dmytro Lubinets confirmed the existence of a problem with ensuring the constitutional right to professional legal assistance in territorial recruitment and social support centers.
Guarantees of the practice of law
The UNBA presented a report on violations of advocates' rights in the TCC
The Committee for the protection of advocate's rights and guarantees of legal practice of the UNBA has prepared a consolidated report on violations of advocate's professional rights and guarantees of legal practice by territorial recruitment and social support centers for the period from 2022 to the first half of 2025.
Self-government
Statement by the UNBA Committee regarding manipulative journalistic material
Statement by the UNBA Committee on information policy and interaction with the media regarding manipulative journalistic material aimed at discrediting the advocacy institution.
Greetings
Congratulations on the anniversary of the establishment of the Ukrainian National Bar Association
November 17 marks the thirteenth anniversary of the establishment of the Ukrainian National Bar Association, a professional self-governing organization that has united advocates from all regions of the country into a single independent institution.
Guarantees of the practice of law
10 changes necessary for the implementation of the Convention on the protection of the profession of advocate
Most of the standards enshrined in the Convention on the protection of the profession of advocate have already been implemented in Ukrainian legislation. At the same time, in order to ensure a higher level of guarantees for the independence of advocacy, certain amendments should be made to the codes and the relevant law.
Publications
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
Sergiy Vylkov Our judicial system is so built that courts do not trust advocates
Iryna Vasylyk Advocacy in the proclamation of Independence of Ukraine
Oleksandr DULSKY When we cross the border of the Supreme Anti-Corruption Court, we get into another department of the National Anti-Corruption…
Vadym Krasnyk The UNBA will work, and all obstacles and restrictions are only temporary inconveniences
