Convention for the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer: Valentyn Gvozdiy tells how Europe protects human rights defenders

29 April 2025 - Podcast

On March 11-12, 2025, the Council of Europe adopted the Convention on the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer, the first international treaty of its kind to guarantee the independence, security and self-governance of the legal profession.

This historic document enshrines the key rights of lawyers, including the protection of professional secrecy, non-interference in the exercise of professional activities, the right to a fair trial, and mechanisms for international monitoring of compliance with these norms.

In a new video on GOLAW’s YouTube channel, Attorney at law, Managing Partner of the firm, Vice President of the Ukrainian National Bar Association, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Ukrhydroenergo Valentyn Gvozdiy talks about the importance of the Convention for Ukraine and the global legal community. He emphasizes the uniqueness of this document, Ukraine’s role in its creation, the importance of ratification, and the prospects for implementing the Convention’s provisions into national legislation.

The video pays special attention to how the new international mechanism will protect lawyers working in complex cases, in particular against state or politically influential opponents. The video also discusses the responsibility for non-compliance with the Convention and how the international legal community assesses Ukraine’s contribution to the conclusion of this treaty.

Watch the video to get a deeper understanding of how the Convention is a game changer for the entire European legal community.