The event, organized by the Ukrainian National Bar Association, brought together members of parliament, attorneys, representatives of the media community and civil society organizations to discuss issues arising from the Verkhovna Rada’s adoption on July 16, 2025, of the Law of Ukraine “On Amendments to the Code of Administrative Offenses and the Criminal Code of Ukraine Regarding Ensuring Compliance with Guarantees of the Practice of Law.”
Equating lawyers with their clients is unacceptable and should be made a punishable offense,” emphasized Yuriy Radzievsky.
Such conflation undermines the adversarial nature of the proceedings, weakens the defense, and effectively deprives individuals of the opportunity to receive proper legal assistance.
By equating lawyers with their clients, pressure is exerted on them, effectively “squeezing” them out of the proceedings. In such a situation, a lawyer cannot focus on the defense and is forced to think about their own safety, as well as about restoring their honor and dignity.
“The main criticism of the law concerns the assumption that any mention of a lawyer in the media could serve as grounds for imposing a penalty. However, the law does not provide for punishment for reporting on court proceedings or a lawyer’s participation in a case. Liability arises exclusively for actions aimed at exerting negative pressure on a lawyer or undermining the guarantees of their professional practice. The presence or absence of signs of an offense will be determined by the court based on a report prepared by the Bar Association,” noted Mr. Radzievsky.
Furthermore, in his view, fears regarding restrictions on freedom of speech are unfounded. The law does not introduce new prohibitions on speech, but merely establishes liability for actions that are already expressly prohibited by law and international standards. In this sense, its logic is no different from other provisions that establish liability for public calls to overthrow the constitutional order or for death threats.
The roundtable participants took the first steps toward reaching a consensus with journalists and the public regarding the inadmissibility of equating attorneys with their clients.
Preserving the independent status of the legal profession as a component of the justice system is impossible under the pressure that arises from such conflation.
