Russian Federation: ICJ comments on the amendments to the draft law on the rights of lawyers

In this submission, the ICJ provides comments on the Draft Federal Law “On amending certain legislative acts of the Russian Federation concerning ensuring the right of a lawyer to collect data necessary for providing qualified legal assistance” No 993553-6 (Draft Law).

The comments are provided in light of international law and standards on the role of lawyers and are informed by the ICJ report Towards a Stronger Legal Profession in Russia published in December 2015.

The document addresses the following issues: a “lawyers’ query”, a new legal tool which intends to empower defence lawyers to make requests for data and information; admission of evidence gathered by lawyers to be included in the case-file; the lawyers’ certificate which grants access to state buildings and the related issue of obstruction of lawyers’ access to their clients; ethical standards of lawyers and the problem of “pocket lawyers” in the Russian Federation.

Russia-Comment on Lawyer draft law-Advocacy-Analysis brief-2016-ENG  (full text in English, PDF)

Russia-Comment on Right of Lawyer Law-Advocacy-Analysis brief-2016-RUS (full text in Russian, PDF)

Photo: Russian lawyer’s ID. Credit: http://minjust.ru/