Moldovan Justice Ministry says Lawyers' Union revised decision obliging lawyers not to provide any legal assistance during strike

The Lawyers' Union of Moldova (UAM) has revised the decision which obliged  lawyers not to provide any legal assistance during the strike, under the threat of  disciplinary action. A string of exceptions were included, in order to ensure the proper conduct of justice. The Ministry of Justice today made statements to this effect, in the context of the strike announced by UAM, following the amendments adopted by parliament to the Law on Advocacy.

The Justice Ministry welcomed the UAM’s decision, which "contributes to maintaining a balance between the right to protest, freely chosen by the lawyer, and the need to guarantee access to justice and defend citizens' rights, especially in urgent cases".

"On the first day of the protest, urgent legal assistance cases (detentions, arrests, cases with minors, domestic violence, etc.) were covered. In other cases, planned in advance, procedural actions and court hearings were postponed by lawyers, due to participation in the general strike," the cited source noted.

The Justice Ministry reiterated that it "remains open to facilitating further dialogue between lawyers and state authorities, in order to identify balanced solutions, both for lawyers and in the interest of citizens".

The Lawyers' Union declared a strike, in protest against the amendments to the Law on Advocacy, adopted by parliament on July 11. This was announced for the period of July 15-25.

The first amendment aims at introducing a three-year ban on lawyers who have held positions in the internal commissions of the Lawyers' Union from reoccupying these positions, in order to prevent influence and ensure staff rotation.

At the same time, the second amendment concerns the inclusion in the licensing and discipline commissions of the Lawyers' Union of representatives appointed by the Minister of Justice, as well as representatives of academic circles or civil society, in order to enhance objectivity.

Also, the Lawyers' Union made a public call, asking President Maia Sandu not to sign this law. The spokesperson for the Presidency, Igor Zaharov, said that "the draft law was received on July 14, and the head of state has 14 days to examine the document". The decision will be publicly communicated later.