site.btaJustice Minister Signs Council of Europe Convention Protecting Lawyer Profession

On behalf of Bulgaria, Justice Minister Georgi Georgiev signed the Council of Europe Convention for the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer. The Convention sets minimum standards for the protection of both individual lawyers and bar associations or professional legal organizations. The signing of the Convention by Bulgaria is supported by the Supreme Bar Council and the country's bar associations, the Ministry's press office reported here Friday.

A key focus of the Convention is the legal safeguards for practicing the legal profession. These include the independence and self-governance of professional legal associations; facilitation of access to the profession and continuing education; consultation with professional associations on regulatory and legislative changes affecting the profession; objectivity and fairness in admission to the profession and in disciplinary proceedings; prompt access to clients upon their detention and active participation in proceedings; freedom of expression for lawyers and professional associations; and protection from civil or criminal liability for statements made during or in connection with the exercise of the profession.

Implementation of the Convention will be monitored by a special expert body GRAVO comprising independent and highly qualified specialists in the field of the legal profession.

Under certain conditions, the Convention also applies to lawyers practicing in a country different from the one in which they originally qualified. Some of its provisions also apply to individuals who are not lawyers but are directly involved in supporting the professional activities of legal practitioners or their organizations, as well as in other specific scenarios.