The Council introduced administrative liability for identifying a lawyer with a client
Verkhovna Rada (Photo: Depositphotos)

on July 16, the Verkhovna Rada voted in favor of Law No. 12320, which introduces administrative liability in Ukraine for publicly identifying a lawyer with a client. This was reported to by MP from Voice Yaroslav Zheleznyak.

According to him, the law was generally supported by 262 MPs.

MP from Servant of the People Anastasia Radina explained that now media outlets can be brought to administrative responsibility for mentioning that a certain lawyer represented or represents the interests of a certain person.

According to her, if the law enters into force, a journalist will be fined from UAH 1,700 to UAH 3,400 for a phrase such as "Viktor Serdyuk is Viktor Yanukovych's lawyer," and from UAH 6,800 to UAH 10,200 if the violation occurs repeatedly within a year. The fines will be initiated by the lawyers themselves.

The parliamentarian believes that this has nothing to do with freedom of speech and press, and looks like a new tool of pressure on journalists. Radina added that MPs are preparing a resolution to block the document.

The draft law was initiated by six MPs, including Maksym Buzhansky, Serhiy Ionushas and Hryhoriy Mamka.

The text of the draft law posted on the VRU website states that public identification of a person as a lawyer and a client, including through the media, journalists, public associations, and professional unions, entails a fine of 100 (UAH 1700) to 200 (UAH 3400) tax-free minimum incomes for citizens and 200 to 300 (UAH 5100) tax-free minimum incomes for officials.

Repeated violation is punishable by a fine of 400 (UAH 6,800) to 600 (UAH 10,200) tax-free minimums.

  • On the same day, the Verkhovna Rada amended legislation to allow Ukrainians over 60 to serve in the Armed Forces by contact.
  • Parliament also increased the number of SBU officers by 10,000.