On March 19, the first hearing of the government working group on the Bar took place

On 19 March, the first hearing of the government working group on improving legislation in the bar took place

The hearing brought together representatives of the Ministry of Justice, the Office of the President of Ukraine, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, members of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, lawyers, academics, civil society organisations and international partners. The hearing was chaired by Lyudmyla Sugak, Deputy Minister of Justice for European Integration. Also in attendance were Denys Maslov, Chair of the Ukrainian Parliament Committee on Legal Policy, and Taras Kachka, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine.

Tomorrow’s Lawyer was represented at the event by its Director, Daria Pysarenko, and the organisation’s expert, lawyer Andrii Slyusar. The hearing was also attended by Yevhen Krapivin, a representative of the Agency for Legislative Initiatives — the organisation’s partner within the coalition preparing the Shadow Report on negotiation parts 23 ‘Judiciary and Fundamental Rights’ and 24 ‘Justice, Freedom and Security’.

One of the key questions of the hearing became the renewal of the working group’s membership to ensure equal representation of all stakeholders. Although this proposal was supported by all participants, its implementation requires additional regulatory measures — the relevant draft act must be prepared by the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine and the changes must be introduced by a decision of the Cabinet of Ministers.

At the same time, according to Daria Pysarenko, expanding the group’s membership could significantly affect the efficiency and quality of the group’s work:

“The new, expanded membership of the working group offers the possibility, though not a guarantee, of taking into account the interests of both society — the recipient of legal aid — and the wider circle of lawyers, who should have oversight of the bar and its institutions. At the same time, it is important not to lose focus: the key objective is real change within the bar, primarily in the rules governing the formation of self-governing bodies and ensuring their transparency and accountability to lawyers.”

Yevhen Krapivin, for his part, points out that reform of the Bar is essential for the entire justice system:

“The Bar is an integral part of the justice system, which is designed to ensure the rule of law. Its strengthening is needed not only for the European Commission, but also for all Ukrainians, as in most cases lawyers provide legal assistance and must do so to a high standard. Furthermore, representatives of the bar must sit on the qualification and disciplinary bodies for judges and prosecutors (the High Council of Justice, the Qualification and Disciplinary Commission for Prosecutors), thereby influencing the entire justice system. There are currently issues with this, as since 2022 the bar has withdrawn from participating in the work of these important bodies of governance and self-governance.”