“If lawyers are under control, that’s the end of justice”: Dale Armstrong on the threats facing the Ukrainian Bar Association
Dale Armstrong, founder of the U.S.-based international network Armada Network, presented an analytical report on the current state of the Ukrainian legal profession today, March 19, while in Kyiv. The U.S. expert arrived with a clear message: under the guise of European reforms, Ukraine is attempting to establish administrative control over lawyers.
Dale Armstrong shared detailed findings from monitoring the work of the legal profession under wartime conditions. In his report, Armstrong emphasized that the government’s “Roadmap on the Rule of Law” is being used by certain actors (the Ministry of Justice, for example) as a tool to dismantle the justice system rather than to develop it. Attempts are being made to exclude lawyers from reforming their own profession.
International auditors noted the creation of a “closed loop of grant funding.” A small group of NGOs generates criticism of the UNBA, which is then presented as objective analysis, even though the professional community is not involved in the dialogue.
Attempts to forcibly move the elections for the leadership of the bar association online with the participation of state structures have been called “high-risk political engineering.” This poses a threat of data leaks regarding lawyers serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine and opens the door to direct state pressure.
Systematic attacks are being waged against the official representation of lawyers: from the creation of sham civil society organizations to the compilation of “blacklists” of defense attorneys. In his report, Dale Armstrong compared this to Soviet punitive practices.
Additionally, Western experts caution against the idea of e-declarations for lawyers. Anti-corruption tools should not become a mechanism for state control over a free profession.
Don’t destroy what works
Armada Network founder Dale Armstrong emphasized that the Ukrainian legal profession has fully proven its capabilities over 11 years of war.
“Transparency and accountability in the legal profession mean accountability to one’s own professional community, not external subordination to government officials or grant-giving organizations,” he concluded.
The legal profession is the state’s immunity
The issue of lawyers’ independence concerns not only lawyers but every Ukrainian. It is the foundation of the rule of law in a country that is simultaneously fighting for survival and reforming on its path to the EU. During the war, the legal profession is the only real safeguard against violations of the right to defense. It keeps the judicial system functioning, documents war crimes, and ensures access to international justice.
Dale Armstrong described the modern Ukrainian legal profession as part of the infrastructure of national security and the resilience of the state itself.
“That is precisely why criticism of Ukrainian institutions during the war aroused in me not just curiosity, but a certain suspicion. Your experience of living and developing during a war is unique. This morning I was halfway through shaving when the power went out. Believe me, shaving blind is quite a challenge. I’m not sure the American legal profession would even survive under such conditions.
That’s why, when I hear criticism of Ukrainian institutions from outside, I always want to bring the critics back to the real context. We felt that it is now critically important to shift the discussion from emotions to facts, to the law, and to the true substance of the European “Roadmap.”
If lawyers are under control, it’s a return to Soviet times
When asked by UA.News journalists why the American network undertook this study specifically now and what the consequences of losing the bar’s independence might be, Dale Armstrong replied that his personal history with Ukraine began over 30 years ago, which is why he reacts quite strongly to any criticism of our country.
“My history with Ukraine began back in 1993. Since 2014, I’ve been constantly traveling between Washington and Kyiv, assisting the Ukrainian caucus in the U.S. Senate. I have seen your country’s progress with my own eyes—it’s a trajectory that is steadily rising. That is precisely why I react so strongly to criticism of Ukraine when it is taken out of the context of reality.
Since the start of the full-scale invasion, we have been working on the front lines: evacuations, humanitarian aid, and medical supplies for hospitals. And everywhere we looked, we saw lawyers. They helped register tens of thousands of displaced people in Odesa; they were part of this vital defense mechanism. For us, the rule of law and the Constitution are not just words; they are the foundation of a society striving to reject Soviet-era thinking and become part of the Western world.
Will external control affect lawyers’ ability to defend people? Absolutely. If the legal profession loses its independence due to external pressure, it will be a step backward into the Soviet past. Can an ordinary citizen confidently walk into a courtroom knowing that their defense attorney is controlled by a political agenda or money? The answer is obvious. The independence of the profession is the only guarantee for Ukrainians that they can truly stand on the side of justice.”
Summarizing the report’s findings, Dale Armstrong emphasized that Armada Network calls on the government and donors to cease interference in local self-government and to abandon dangerous experiments with e-voting during martial law.
