OSCE Office hosts conference on bill to reform Azerbaijani legal profession

BAKU, 23 January 2004 - Participants at an OSCE Conference on the Reforms in Azerbaijani Bar System agreed on the necessity of changes in the draft Law on Advocates in order to make planned reforms more effective and efficient and to bring more sustainable results.

The event discussed the impact of the law on the principles of the regulation of legal profession and the practical working environment of lawyers in the country. A set of recommendations to improve the draft law was also prepared.

Referring to comments made on the draft law, the Head of the Department on Work with Law Enforcement Bodies of the Presidential Administration, Fuad Aleskerov said: "We are here to hear the opinions of the various parties concerned with the law, to get their recommendations and to incorporate them into the Law, which in itself is a very important element in the reform of the Azerbaijani Bar system."

Ambassador Burkhard, Head of the OSCE Office in Baku said: "We are very pleased to see concrete results and we encourage the Government and the legal practitioners to use the working links created during this conference for continuous dialogue in the future.

"This conference provides an example of a good legislative process. It is extremely important that interaction takes place between lawmakers and those directly affected by the Law long before a new law or regulation is adopted by the Parliament." said Ambassador Burkhard, adding that the OSCE stood ready to provide whatever assistance and support it could to ensure that legislation is formulated and adopted as the result of an open process reflecting the will of the people.

The two-day event, which ended today, brought together some 80 representatives of the legislative and executive bodies, as well as practicing lawyers, members of the Collegium of Advocates, representatives of international organizations, embassies, experts and non-governmental organizations.

The conference was organized at the joint initiative of the Government of Azerbaijan and the OSCE Office in Baku in co-operation with the American Bar Association/Central European and Eurasian Europe Law Initiative.