The National Bar Association of Ukraine has prepared a guide for journalists, the media, and the public that explains the concept of “identifying a lawyer with a client” and offers practical recommendations on how to avoid violations of the guarantees of the legal profession.

The document was presented by Oleksiy Shevchuk, spokesperson for the UNAU and chair of the Committee on Information Policy and Interaction with the Media, during the discussion “Protecting Lawyers from Being Identified with Their Clients: International Standards and the Ukrainian Context,” which took place on September 8 in Kyiv.

“This is a local regulatory act that we have as a self-regulating community—the bar,” explained O. Shevchuk. “It can be used by journalists. And this is essentially a clarification issued by our community on how to act and what constitutes identification within the meaning of the law.”

The document notes that the prohibition on equating a lawyer with a client has existed in Ukrainian legislation since 2012, but for a long time it was merely declarative in nature. Law No. 4547-IX, adopted in July 2025, established administrative liability for such actions for the first time.

According to the chair of the relevant committee of the National Association of Attorneys of Ukraine (NAAU), the problem of equating a lawyer with a client has real-world implications: during strategic sessions with the National Council on Television and Radio Broadcasting, dozens of such cases were documented in the media. Most often, these occur in regional online publications that operate without professional standards and, in effect, use blog-style language.

In the speaker’s view, it is unacceptable to “equate a person with their role or attach any negative connotation to someone who is simply doing their job.”

Therefore, the document contains relevant practical advice for the media, journalists, and public figures. Among these are a focus on describing the lawyer’s procedural actions, using neutral phrasing, and avoiding emotional epithets or personal judgments. It is unacceptable to use phrases such as “corruption lawyer” or “defender of murderers.” At the same time, examples of safe and unsafe statements are provided for clarity. A “quick test” is also suggested: replace the words “lawyer” and “client” with “doctor” and “patient.” If the statement sounds absurd, it should not be used in reference to a lawyer either.

The Ukrainian National Bar Association is convinced that the new rules do not restrict freedom of speech but are aimed at ensuring a balance between the constitutional right to free speech and the guarantees of the independence of the legal profession.

You can download the guide by following this link.