Within the framework of the Council of Europe Project “Consolidating Ukraine’s justice sector reform” international consultants Rytis Jokubauskas and Ranko Pelicaric visited Kyiv during their first fact-finding mission on 11-13 September, 2017.

Experts are involved in conducting needs assessment exercise for the Ukrainian National Bar Association (hereinafter – UNBA) in the context of current challenges bar’s self-government is facing.

During the working visit a lot of issues were discussed and namely regarding: legislation on bar practice and its shortcomings; organizational structure of the UNBA, Bar Council of Ukraine and interaction with regional bar councils, the Qualification and Disciplinary Bar Commission and the Higher Qualification and Disciplinary Bar Commission of Ukraine; activities and events held by the UNBA; UNBA financial indicators over the last year; bar ethics and disciplinary liability; bar trainings; admission to the profession; membership in the UNBA; the main challenges of the bar profession; prospects for amending the law on bar practice in the context of the need to reform the institution of bar self-government etc.

The purpose of such evaluation is to get a full understanding of the environment in which attorneys are working starting with year 2012, the institutional capacity of the UNBA, including the protection of attorneys’ rights and provision of opportunities for them to improve their qualification, studying obstacles and practical problems in the bar professional practice in Ukraine, as well as the specifics of the Rules of attorney’s ethics and application of disciplinary sanctions.

The next two visits of international consultants will take place in October and November respectively. As a result of the experts’ survey, in the beginning of year 2018, they will present the final report on the needs assessment of the Ukrainian National Bar Association in the context of modern challenges.