News on the topic: lawyers
26.06.2014 Legislation on lawyers: What changes needed?
It has been over two years since the entry in force of the Law “On the Legal Profession and Activities of Lawyers in the Republic of Belarus” and other regulations adopted pursuant to it. Despite the fact that this law is sufficiently “fresh”, the need for changes in the Belarusian legislation on lawyers has been prompted by both national and foreign experts. In the application of this Act, this need has been also perceived by the lawyers’ community and the state.
14.04.2014 Pavel Sapelka: “The prosecutor struggled for the driver-killer like for his own brother”
The driver of the Crysler car, who killed two people by knocking them down while driving, was released from criminal responsibility by the decision of the Investigative Committee and the Prosecutor General's Office.
13.03.2014 State intends to tighten control over barristers
March 15, 2014 a pre-election report conference of members of the Minsk City Bar Association will take place in Minsk. Its agenda includes amendments and supplements to the Charter of Bar Association (concerning the disciplinary committee) and the Regulation on Disciplinary Commission. There are reasons to believe that the adoption of these amendments and supplements will make lawyers more dependent on the state. The barristers are offered to limit the frames of their legal activities with their own hands.
29.01.2014 Judge in Babruisk denies elderly women’s right to legal assistance
On January 27, Judge Maryna Sheliahina of Babruisk District and City Court did not allow the presence at a trial of a representative of two local women, Valiantsina Kavalenka and Liubou Sankevich.
02.12.2013 Lawyer Pavel Sapelka greets German colleagues at human rights forum in Berlin
On 29 November in Berlin the German Bar Association (DAV) held a Forum on human rights. Among those invited to this event was a representative of Belarus, a lawyer and attorney Pavel Sapelka.
16.08.2013 Belarusian authorities ignore petitions from Chernobyl disaster veterans
The Kyiv-based public organization called "Union-Chernobyl-Belarus", chaired by an ambulance paramedic from the town of Zhodzina, Aliaksandr Valchanin, has not received responses to their address with a proposal to unify the "Chernobyl" legislation of Russia and Belarus submitted to the Belarusian parliament, the government and the Ministry of Emergency Situations over a month ago.
18.03.2013 Parliament overlooks proposals by NGOs
The Legal Transformation Center (Lawtrend) sent to the Parliament’s Commission on Human Rights a set of proposals for changes in the law on public associations. However, the working group deemed it inappropriate to consider the opinions of NGOs.
06.12.2012 Pavel Sapelka: “The award belongs to those, who struggled beside me, upholding the understanding of the freedom and independence of legal profession”
These days, human rights lawyer Pavel Sapelka has been presented the prestigious Human Rights Award 2012, awarded to him by the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE). CCBE unites about 1 million of European lawyers of Bars and Law Societies.
05.12.2012 Pavel Sapelka: Mikalai Dziadok is being put in unbearable conditions
The famous Belarusian lawyer does not believe the political prisoner is a persistent violator of prison rules.
27.07.2012 Pavel Sapelka: Situation with Anton Surapin’s detention in KGB prison reminds of December 2010
Human rights lawyer Pavel Sapelka says the current situation of journalist Anton Surapin, who has been reportedly denied access to his lawyer for two days, may repeat the events of December 2010, when persons arrested on charges of involvement in mass riots were not able to meet their counsels for weeks.
22.06.2012 Head of American Bar Association sends letter to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on violations of international law in Belarus
William T. Robinson III, President of the American Bar Association, has sent a letter of concern to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Ms. Navanethem Pillay urging her to address violations of international law in Belarus.
12.03.2012 Another lawyer of political prisoner Andrei Sannikau gets disbarred
last week the presidium of the Minsk municipal panel of lawyers disbarred Andrei Varvashevich. This is Sannikau’s second lawyer to be disbarred. Previously, lawyer Pavel Sapelka was disbarred.
31.01.2012 Democracy increases: lawyers aren't recommended to give interviews without permission
The Minsk City and the Minsk region bars have received the appropriate letters, signed by the head of the national bar, Mr. Chaichyts. Lawyers are recommended to receive the agreement of the heads of their bars before giving any interviews, while deputy heads of the bars are charged with studying the content of such interviews and filing them with the national bar.
05.12.2011 Minsk City Court upholds annulment of Aleh Aheyeu's license
On 28 November 2011 the civil cases panel of judges of the Minsk City Court, consisting of N. Zhupikava, A.Antonenka and I. Lazavikova considered the administrative lawsuit of counsel Aleh Aheyeu against the unlawful annulment of his lawyer's license by the Ministry of Justice.
21.11.2011 Salihorsk HR defenders report administrative obstacles to receiving legal aid
A 23-year-old resident of the village of Starobin, Salihorsk district, accused of murdering his daughter was unable to meet with his lawyer for two months, say local activists of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee.
