5 June, 20:37
The Kyiv Regional Bar Association's Qualification and Disciplinary Commission has imposed disciplinary measures against lawyer Oleksiy Shevchuk for the third time in two years. This time, it suspended his license for three months following a complaint from Masi Nayem for violating attorney ethics, Bankova Mail reports.
The Kyiv Regional Bar Association's Qualification and Disciplinary Commission has imposed disciplinary measures against attorney Oleksiy Shevchuk for the third time in two years. This time, it suspended his license for three months following a complaint from Masi Nayem for violating attorney ethics, Bankova Mail reports.
Shevchuk called Nayem a "funny lawyer" and his clients "drug addicts." In February 2023, the Qualification and Disciplinary Commission suspended his license for the same offense against a colleague, and in December 2023, it revoked his license altogether. He remains a member of the SAPO head selection committee.
This isn't just a disciplinary statistic—it provides context for understanding why Shevchuk's appointment to the committee became a scandal in the first place. On March 16, 2023, the Ethics Council found him to be unfit for integrity and professional ethics during the competition for the High Council of Justice. Among the documented violations is a 2018 tender application by Barristers, which included a withdrawal letter from an NGO clone of the "Reanimation Package of Reforms." The founder of that NGO was a co-owner of the law firm Shevchuk & Partners, and most of the tender documents were signed by Shevchuk himself. A separate incident concerns the registration of the "Court Reporter" trademark: the Ethics Council found that Shevchuk may have known about the existence of a website of the same name by journalist Iryna Salii, and demanded $7,000-$10,000 for re-registration of the trademark.
Prosecutor General Kravchenko appears to have ignored all these circumstances. The selection committee selects candidates for the positions of head of the SAP, first deputy, and deputy—three key anti-corruption positions in the country. The Law "On the Prosecutor's Office" requires members of such committees to have an impeccable reputation and integrity. Deputy Anastasia Radina directly calls Shevchuk's appointment Kravchenko's personal responsibility.