On 18 November 2025, a professional dialogue was held between Ukrainian and French legal practitioners to discuss the role of private legal professions in strengthening the rule of law. The event was organised by the EU Project “Pravo-Justice” in cooperation with Team France and with the participation of the Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine.

The meeting brought together representatives of the Ministry of Justice of France, the National Council of Bars (Conseil National des Barreaux), the High Council of Notaries (Conseil Supérieur du Notariat), and the National Chamber of Judicial Officers of France (Chambre Nationale des Commissaires de Justice). Ukraine was represented by delegates from various organisations, including the Ukrainian Bar Association.

The meeting served as a platform for exchanging experience between professional self-governing organisations of both countries. The participants discussed:

• current trends in the development of legal professions in Ukraine and France;

• the French experience in professional self-governance and the possibilities for its adaptation to the Ukrainian context;

• the challenges faced by legal practitioners in the context of ongoing reforms;

• the importance of independence and self-regulation within the legal sector;

• Ukraine’s EU-integration commitments related to improving the regulation of legal professions.

Particular attention was drawn to the shared responsibility borne by legal professions in upholding the rule of law.

“The rule of law is a shared responsibility. It rests not only with judges and prosecutors, but also with advocates, notaries, private enforcement officers, and other legal professionals. Only by working together, recognising this responsibility, and contributing to the implementation of Ukraine’s EU-integration commitments can we ensure an effective and sustainable system of justice. This is precisely why today’s meeting with our French colleagues was an excellent opportunity for a meaningful exchange of experience and for strengthening the partnership between Ukraine and the European Union,” stated Oksana Tsymbryvska, Team Leader of the EU Project "Pravo-Justice".

In turn, Mykola Stetsenko, President of the Ukrainian Bar Association, outlined a number of challenges currently faced by the legal profession in Ukraine. Among them are violations of lawyers’ rights by Ukrainian law-enforcement bodies, the absence of modernisation in access to the profession, a lag in adopting contemporary technologies, as well as insufficient dialogue on the part of the bar’s self-governing bodies.

Mr Mykola emphasised that despite Ukraine’s progressive legislation regarding lawyers’ rights, there remain several practical issues that require professional discussion: “The problem is that the legal profession, unfortunately, lags behind society’s demand for modernisation, the use of contemporary technologies, and the principles of transparency and accountability, which have today become not only a standard but a fundamental value for Ukrainian society. This includes transparency and independent administration of bar examinations, improving the quality of continuing professional development for lawyers, ensuring balance and openness in disciplinary proceedings, the regularity of elections, and accountability of self-governing bodies, among other matters. And we must speak about this honestly — we need an open dialogue to strengthen the legal profession without compromising its independence.”

The Ukrainian Bar Association expresses its gratitude to the EU Project “Pravo-Justice” for creating a platform for open professional dialogue, where joint efforts are directed towards finding effective solutions to strengthen democratic institutions and bring Ukraine closer to the standards of the European Union.