Lawyers who have left Russia may retain their status

Russian lawyers may lose their status if they go abroad. This is reported by “Kommersant”, referring to the amendment proposed by the government to the law “On Advocacy and Advocacy”.

The bill was developed by the Ministry of Justice together with the Federal Chamber of Advocates (FPA) and submitted to the State Duma in February 2023.

The amendment assumes that “the status of a lawyer is terminated by the council of the Bar Chamber in the presence of a conclusion of the qualification commission”, if the lawyer has not appeared in Russia for more than one year without a good reason or has decided to live permanently in another country.

Exceptions are made for medical or educational trips, as well as for accompanying family members sent to work by state authorities or Russian organizations.

The authors of the document claim that “there are cases when Russian lawyers left for a long time or moved to a permanent place of residence in foreign jurisdictions, including in states unfriendly to Russia, and continue their activities, including those aimed at undermining trust in the legal profession.” .

Members of the legal community polled by “Kommersant” believe that such an amendment, if adopted, will be used to put pressure on lawyers who from abroad continue to work conscientiously in the Russian jurisdiction. They also noted that this is a restriction on the rights of lawyers, including the right to work and freedom of movement.

Vice-President of the Federal Chamber of Advocates Oleg Baulin, in turn, emphasized that, if the amendment is adopted, the decision to terminate the status of a lawyer will be left to the advice of the Chamber of Advocates.