On November 19, 2013 the international conference “Advocacy self-governance bodies in Ukraine: first challenges and achievements” on the occasion of the first anniversary from the date of foundation the Ukrainian National Bar Association was held.

Valentyn Zagariya Head of the Higher Qualification and Disciplinary Bar Commission participated as a guest speaker and a moderator of the session “Attorney’s self-government bodies: national and international experience”. Mr. Zagariya emphasized the main achievements and problems of attorney’s self-government bodies, specifically:

• protection of advocate’s right to information (advocate’s request). Examples of several court verdicts imposing administrative fine to officials who didn’t respond on attorney’s requests were mentioned;
• maintain the guarantees of attorney’s professional rights during investigation and protection a client-lawyer privilege;
• gaps of the representatives’ of the regional Bar Council in proceedings on administrative offences.

Within the conference the following problems of disciplinary procedure were considered:

• notification of the complainant and advocate regarding the date / place / time of conducting Qualification and Disciplinary Bar Commission’s meeting on commencements of disciplinary proceedings;
• duplicating decisions of the Qualification and Disciplinary Bar Commission due to one disciplinary procedure (Qualification and Disciplinary Bar Commission’s decision and disciplinary chamber’s decision on behalf of Qualification and Disciplinary Bar Commission);
• appeals against action of members of advocacy self-governance bodies.

It should be noted that conference brought together heads of the regional and higher attorney’s self-government bodies of Ukraine and foreign countries, representatives of the executive authorities and the judiciary, as well as other high officials.