Armada Analytical Report
Review
the complete Analysis
Examine the comprehensive findings,
sociological data
and strategic recommendations inside
the 2026 Analytical Report
Introduction & Context
The Rule of Law Roadmap, approved by the Government of Ukraine (Decree No. 475-r of May 14, 2025) as part of the negotiation process on Ukraine's accession to the European Union, defines the strategic directions for reforming the Bar as an independent and self-governing legal profession. By its very nature, this document is framework and programmatic: it formulates general goals, principles and guidelines for reforms, while not imposing specific institutional models of Bar self-government.
The survey results show that the demand from the public and the professional community is not focused on a radical transformation of the Bar self-government bodies, but on their gradual, evolutionary improvement. This approach is consistent with both the expressed expectations of the professional community and the principles of institutional sustainability.
Main Findings of the Report
Key insights derived from
the 2025 sociological study
Video Insights & Analysis
Select a segment below to view deeper context regarding the report findings.
Institutional Stability
The results of the survey show that the institutional stability of the Bar and the high level of professional trust are maintained even under martial law. Specifically, 69% of respondents trust the UNBA as an institution. 68% of the public views advocates as professional.
Evolutionary Reform
The Roadmap does not contain any provisions that would provide for the dismantling of the current model of Bar self-government, does not set requirements for the subordination of Bar self-government bodies to public authorities and does not impose any specific organizational architecture on the professional community.
Digitalization Constraints
Digitalization should be an infrastructure of transparency and quality (registers, procedure modules, case management, training platforms), not a "total digital regime." The conditions of war require backup procedures and the principle of accessibility.
Proper Implementation
of the Roadmap
Access to the Profession: Testing and Qualification Exam
Testing for admission to the Bar should be based on a two-tier model that clearly distinguishes between standardized testing of basic knowledge and professional assessment of practical skills and ethical readiness. The first level provides for professional testing as a prerequisite for access to the next stages. The second level involves a qualification exam aimed at testing the candidate's ability to act as an advocate in real professional situations.
Continuous Professional Development
The issue of continuous professional development of advocates is one of the key elements of the Roadmap on the Rule of Law. Decision of the Bar Council of Ukraine No. 125 stipulates that the system of continuous professional development in Ukraine already has a proper institutional basis and functions not declaratively, but through the Higher School of Advocacy. Such a model ensures effective quality control, preservation of the independence of the Bar, and an adequate professional level of legal services as part of the right to a fair trial.
Internal Independent Audit as a Guarantee of Financial Integrity
The model of internal independent audit in the Ukrainian system of Bar self-government is based on a multi-level system of audit bodies, including regional Bar audit commissions and the Higher Audit Commission of the Bar. These bodies are formed directly by the Bar community, are institutionally separated from the governing bodies and have clearly defined powers of financial control. The mechanical transfer of public financial management regimes typical for budgetary institutions to the finances of the Bar self-government is conceptually flawed.
Shadow Reporting
and the Limits of its Use
A separate manifestation of the substitution of the Roadmap framework by institutional redesign is the insistence, within the framework of shadow reporting, on the introduction of external controls.
In the absence of requirements for disclosure of methodology, funding sources, and potential conflicts of interest, the multiplicity of documents and repetition of theses can create an illusion of consensus and undermine the independence of evaluation.