Page 3 - Report on the infringement of rights and guarantees of attorneys in Ukraine

Advocacy is an important public institution with a key role in protecting human rights,
including the right of defence. An attorney’s task is to help a person exercise his/her rights
in a challenging life situation and to protect them should there be a threat of violation. It is
quite common for such work to be a threat to a defence counsel, and an attempt to
protect a client’s rights may result in violation of the rights of attorneys. Such cases require
close attention from state agencies, civil society and international institutions, since they
can significantly weaken the ability of advocacy to perform its functions.
This joint report of the representatives of the Ukrainian Bar Association and the Ukrainian
public has been complied to draw attention to cases of attorneys' rights being violated in
2016, 2017, and in the first quarter of 2018. It highlights the main trends in violations of
attorneys rights, which are qualified based on sources of international human rights law and
the practice of the European Court of Human Rights.

Information provided by lawyers, regional attorneys boards, representatives of the public
and mass media, the National Association of Attorneys of Ukraine, the International Human
Rights Society, the Association of Attorneys of Ukraine, attorney board of Odesa region,
recommendations of the “Support of reforms in the field of justice in Ukraine” project were
taken into account, as well as regulations of international organizations and practice of the
European Court of Human Rights.

The report consists of three parts:

PLACE OF ADVOCACY IN THE VALUE SYSTEM
OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

ANALYSIS OF THE FACTS OF VIOLATIONS OF THE RIGHTS
OF ATTORNEYS IN UKRAINE

SUGGESTIONS FOR OVERCOMING
NEGATIVE TRENDS IN THIS AREA

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