The Venice Commission, an advisory body to the Council of Europe on constitutional affairs, has published its opinion on the possibility of setting up more bar associations, and the role of the Supreme Administrative Court in disciplinary proceedings against lawyers, TASR has learnt from Council of Europe spokesman Jaime Rodriguez Murphy.
According to the judicial reform prepared by the Ministry of Justice, the Slovak Bar Association – the only professional association of its kind in Slovakia with compulsory membership – did not act sufficiently vigorously in cases where its members were seen to have violated the law. The ministry therefore suggested that the Supreme Administrative Court should have the opportunity to evaluate disciplinary proceedings against lawyers. At the same time, the bar association should be divided into several independent chambers with voluntary membership, and on the basis of areas of law and the local jurisdiction of lawyers.
The Venice Commission has acknowledged that the existence of several bar associations is in line with international standards. The same applies to disciplinary proceedings against lawyers through mixed bodies consisting of judges and lawyers. "However, the reasons for this reform are not entirely clear, and the proposed solutions also require some guarantees," the commission said.
