The UNBA is counting on the swift ratification of the Convention on the Protection of the Professions of Lawyer
The ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of the Professions of Lawyer must be accompanied by targeted amendments to legislation to strengthen safeguards for advocates, but should not be used as a pretext for dismantling the self-governing model of advocacy.
This was discussed during a meeting of the Bar Council of Ukraine, which took place online on June 30.
The President of the UNBA, BCU Lidiya Izovitova noted that the meeting was taking place as Ukraine marks the 30th anniversary of its Constitution. For the advocacy community, this date is linked to the fundamental provisions of the Constitution: everyone’s right to professional legal assistance, the fact that advocacy exists in Ukraine to provide such assistance, and the constitutional guarantee of the institution’s independence.
She noted that the process of ratifying the Convention has effectively entered the home stretch. In June, the Verkhovna Rada Committee on legal policy held a working meeting attended by representatives of the UNBA and the Ministry of Justice, during which they discussed the preparation of the relevant draft law and related amendments to legislation.
According to the Vice President of the UNBA, BCU Valentin Gvozdiy, who participated in this meeting and is one of the co-authors of the Convention, there are no provisions in Ukrainian legislation that contradict this international treaty. However, there are certain issues that are not regulated by national law.
The parliamentary Committee has given the Ministry of Justice a deadline to draft the bill, and representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who also participated in the meeting, indicated their readiness to forward it to the Office of the President, since the bill on ratification must be submitted by the President of Ukraine as the initiator of the legislative process.
V. Gvozdiy reported that the association is in close contact with the Ministry of Justice; in particular, it has prepared proposals, a significant portion of which have been taken into account, and the remaining differences have already been effectively resolved. According to the deputy chairman of the UNBA, Ukraine has a chance to become one of the first countries to ratify the Convention. At the same time, in European Union countries, the ratification process depends on a formal decision by EU institutions, as member states must align their international obligations with EU law.
He also noted that the attempt to use the ratification of the Convention as a pretext for a broad reform of advocacy was not supported by participants in the parliamentary consultations.
L. Izovitova emphasized that the UNBA’s working subgroups, in drafting the new law, are already relying on the Convention as a framework. According to her, the provisions of the document must be implemented regardless of whether the formal ratification procedure is completed.
In a broader context, the UNBA chairman also mentioned the work on the Roadmap on the Rule of Law. She emphasized that European integration cannot serve as a basis for weakening the self-governance of the bar or altering the constitutional nature of the advocacy profession.
Special attention was given to the drafts of the Anti-Corruption Strategy for 2026–2030, which include a section on advocacy and legal aid. The UNBA’s position is that the National Agency for Corruption Prevention, which prepared the draft text, exceeded its authority by including advocacy in the state’s anti-corruption policy. Issues of self-governance, access to the profession, disciplinary procedures, and financial management cannot be addressed through an executive branch strategy. The UNBA is communicating this position to its international partners.
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