PRESS RELEASE

COLLOQUIUM INTERNATIONAL REGARDING THE EUROPEAN CONVENTION ON THE PROTECTION OF THE LEGAL PROFESSION

27^TH of May 2025

For several years now, the legal profession has been facing an increasingly concerning reality in many regions around the world: pressure, intimidation, abusive prosecutions, and obstacles to the free exercise of the defense. These repeated violations target not only lawyers themselves but also undermine the very foundations of the rule of law.

It is in this challenging context that the Council of Europe has undertaken the drafting of a fundamental text: a Convention on the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer, aimed at establishing, for the first time at the international level, legal guarantees in favor of the independence, safety, and freedom of practice of lawyers.

This Convention, open for signature since last May 13, has already been signed by 17 countries. It is available for signature not only by member states of the Council of Europe but also by third countries. This reflects a strong ambition: to build a truly universal framework for the protection of lawyers.

On this occasion, the Istanbul Bar Association, with the participation of the Union of Turkish Bar Associations, will have the honor of hosting an international colloquium dedicated to this Convention. The event will take place at the Istanbul Bar Association on May 27, 2025, from 1:30 PM to 7:30 PM, and will bring together a distinguished panel of speakers: bar association presidents from across Europe, representatives of professional associations, committed legal professionals, as well as experts who directly contributed to the drafting of the text. 

This colloquium is intended to be more than just a moment of exchange: it is an act of vigilance and collective commitment in support of those who, every day, defend the rights of citizens.

The Istanbul Bar Association will continue to speak out for the honour, independence and security of the legal profession.

Av. Prof. Dr. İbrahim Ö. KABOĞLU

President of the Istanbul Bar

Colloquium Program Organized by the ISTANBUL BAR ASSOCIATION and

the UNION OF TURKISH BAR ASSOCIATIONS

Date                     : May 27, 2025, from 13:30 to 19:30

Location             : Istanbul Bar Association - Conference Hall

İstiklal Caddesi, Orhan Adli Apaydın Sokak, No:2,

34430, Beyoğlu/ISTANBUL