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This article is devoted to a comprehensive analysis of various types of criminal offenses that may be committed against lawyers in connection with their professional activities in providing legal assistance. By analysing the status of a lawyer as a victim according to Article 397 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, the article suggests focusing on two main aspects. Firstly, the issue of interference with the activities of a defender or representative of a person is thoroughly examined, with the concluding remark that one of the key guarantees of a lawyer's activity is the establishment of criminal liability for interfering with the work of these subjects of human rights protection. The object, objective, and subjective sides of this criminal offense are analysed, as well as the sanctions provided for its commission. Secondly, the threat or violence against a defender or representative of a person using Article 398 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine as the main instrument to ensure the safety of defenders and representatives during the provision of legal assistance is discussed. The elements of this offense and the sanctions imposed in case of its commission are described. The article also thoroughly examines Article 399 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, "Intentional Destruction or Damage to the Property of a Defender or Representative of a Person." The objective and subjective sides of the criminal offense are analysed, along with qualifying features. Special emphasis is placed on the manifestations of the objective side - destruction or damage to the property of a defender, representative of a person, or their close relatives. Sanctions for such actions include fines, probation, restrictions, or deprivation of liberty depending on the severity of the consequences. Furthermore, Article 400 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, "Attack on the Life of a Defender or Representative of a Person in Connection with Activities Related to the Provision of Legal Assistance," is studied separately. The composition of the crime, which consists of murder or attempted murder of a defender, representative, or their close relatives due to professional activities, is analysed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advocacy of Ukraine is a nongovernmental, self-governing institution that provides protection, representation and the other types of legal assistance on a professional basis, and independently resolves issues of the organization and activity of the advocacy in the manner established by the law. The advocacy of Ukraine consists of all advocates of Ukraine who have the right to practice law. According to the current legislation of Ukraine, advocatory activities are carried out on the basis of a contract on the provision of legal assistance. In this regard, the study of this type of contract and the clarification of its place in the system of regulators of social relations have become extremely important and are the urgent tasks in the domestic legal science. The contract on the provision of legal assistance is an unnamed type of contract at the level of the codified act. Because of this, the provisions of the Law of Ukraine «On Advocacy and Advocatory Activity» have been devoted to its legal regulation. The contract for the provision of legal assistance may also be concluded in favor of the client by another person acting in his interests. In such cases, the rules of the art. 636 of the Civil Code of Ukraine should be applied to it. In particular, the execution of such an agreement on the provision of legal assistance can be demanded both by the person who concluded the agreement and by the client for whose benefit it was concluded. Termination of the contract for the provision of legal assistance at the initiative of the client and/or the person who concluded the contract in the interests of the client is not recognized as an indicator of unsatisfactory work of the advocate (advocatory bureau or advocatory association). After all, the essence of advocacy should consist in providing professional legal assistance to clients to achieve justice in exclusively legal and morally justifiable ways. On the basis of the civil legal analysis of the contract on the provision of legal assistance, it is advisable to support conclusions about its consensual legal nature, belonging to the group of contracts on the provision of legal services, bilaterality, the possibility of being paid or unpaid, fiduciary and, under certain circumstances, aleatory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The scientific article describes the positive foreign experience in managing the free legal aid system in such countries as the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Estonia, and the Republic of Bulgaria for further application and implementation of its elements in reforming the system of free legal aid management in Ukraine. Furthermore, this article analyzes the regulatory and legal framework for managing the provision of free legal aid in the abovementioned countries, including the Free Legal Aid and Education Act in the Republic of Poland, the Law on State Guaranteed Legal Assistance in the Republic of Lithuania, State Legal Aid Act in the Republic of Estonia, and the Legal Assistance Act in the Republic of Bulgaria. The article highlights the features of providing free legal assistance in abovementioned countries. Besides, we have listed the main tasks of the subjects of management of the free legal aid system, the features of their powers, the purpose of their activities, the features of the internal structure of work, as well as the interaction of management bodies with each other. The article characterizes the main differences in the legislative regulation of the management of the sphere of providing free legal aid in the abovementioned countries. At the same time, the article emphasizes that in most of the countries studied there is a special governing body for the provision of free legal aid, but in the Republic of Estonia, such a body is not created. In Ukraine, such a body is the Coordination Centre for Legal Aid Provision, which is an independent subject of management. Moreover, given the existence of legislative regulation on the issue of filing a request for state legal assistance in international affairs in the State Legal Aid Act (the Republic of Estonia), the article proposes to further provide such an opportunity for persons in need of such assistance in Ukraine. In addition, the article emphasizes the need to develop a legislative framework for the establishment of the Unified Register of Free Legal Aid Provision in Ukraine with its assignment to the management of the Coordination Center for granting the right of assistance. The creation of the Unified Register of Free Legal Aid Provision will significantly facilitate the maintenance of documentation, reporting, and analytics by the entities authorized to grant the right, and also reduce the time for clarifying organizational issues that arise when making a decision on the provision of free legal assistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]