Ukraine establishes working group to reform legal profession to align with EU standards

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has established a working group to reform the legal profession. The group will prepare proposals to improve legislation governing legal practice, as mandated by Ukraine’s commitments for accession to the European Union. The corresponding government resolution came into force on January 17, 2026.

The working group on improving legislation in the field of the bar and legal practice has been established as a temporary consultative and advisory body of Ukraine’s government. The primary tasks of the group are defined as follows:

• Facilitate coordination and communication between representatives of bar self-government bodies, state agencies, NGOs, and international organizations regarding legislative improvements;
• Study and implement international best practices and positive experiences from other countries in this field;
• Prepare proposals for legislative improvements in the bar and legal practice, in line with the measures outlined in the Rule of Law roadmap.

The working group includes Deputy Minister of Justice for European Integration Liudmyla Suhak, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Legal Policy Denys Maslov, Director of the Directorate for Justice and Criminal Justice of the Ministry of Justice Oleksandr Oliinyk, as well as members of parliament and experts.

The Rule of Law roadmap, approved by the Cabinet of Ministers on May 14, 2025, mandates the development and adoption of a bill to improve the legal regulation of attorney activities, which will provide for:

The proposed bill, as outlined in the Rule of Law Roadmap, will provide for:

• Harmonization of legislation on the bar and acts of bar self-government with European standards;
• Reform of bar self-government bodies, including the establishment of clear, open, and competitive procedures for electing leadership, as well as mandatory regular elections;
• Increased transparency and accountability of bar self-government bodies;
• Alignment of Ukrainian legislation in the field of legal practice with the requirements of Directive 77/249/EEC of March 22, 1977, and Directive 98/5/EC of February 16, 1998.

The mandate also includes reviewing and improving the rules of professional ethics and integrity for lawyers and members of bar self-government bodies, in line with best European practices.

To provide background, over the last three years, the European Commission has repeatedly emphasized that bar reform is a key obligation for Ukraine on its path to EU membership. However, experts assess that there has been no tangible progress in this area to date.

At the beginning of January 2025, there were approximately 70,000 lawyers in Ukraine. The bar itself wields significant influence over the justice system — ranging from participation in court proceedings to the formation of key judicial bodies and oversight of competitive selection procedures.

A shadow report, prepared by a coalition of non-governmental organizations for the 2024 European Commission report on Ukraine, notes that only isolated steps were taken in the field of bar reform through March 2025. Specifically, these included preparing strategic documents aligned with the recommendations of the 2024 EU enlargement package, as well as targeted initiatives from the bar self-government bodies on professional development and disciplinary responsibility. However, these measures were limited in scope and did not lead to tangible improvement in a sector that requires systemic changes aligned with European standards.