BAR ASSOCIATION CLARIFIED THE STANDARDS OF DISCIPLINARY PRACTIСE

An overview of the Moscow Region Bar Association has been recently published on the Internet resource of the Federal Chamber of Lawyers. The document concerns the disciplinary practice of the acting lawyers and includes a number of interesting points.

Among them, in particular, there are:

• the disclosure of information about the client, which became known to the lawyer before he received the appropriate status, is recognized as unethical;
• an attempt to refuse to participate in the case only because the lawyer does not agree with the opinion of his client may be considered a violation of the professional activity of a lawyer;
• the choice of participation in one of two meetings scheduled for the same time in criminal cases will not be considered a violation for a lawyer. At the same time, in the case under consideration, the defense attorney presented to the court evidence of the impossibility to appear, and the process itself lasts for five years, therefore, one postponement of the session is not critical;
• the lawyer's failure to transfer the principal's remuneration to the cashier's office or to the current account of the legal practice may be recognized a serious violation of financial discipline. This behavior, according to the association, is immoral.