Advocacy in the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus: comparative legal analysis

The institutions of advocacy in the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus have similar tasks, but their legal regulation, organizational structure and specifics of activity differ and reflect the peculiarities of the legal systems of each state. Despite the differences, it is necessary to create an effective system of advocacy that promotes the protection of the rights and interests of clients and principals. The purpose of the study is to conduct a comparative legal analysis of the organization and activities of advocacy in the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus. Materials and methods. The following materials were used as initial data: international treaties, normative legal acts, documents of law enforcement agencies, scientific works, and publications in periodicals. General scientific methods were used in the study: analysis, synthesis, induction, deduction. Among the private scientific methods, formal legal, comparative legal and systematic methods were used. The results of the study. In the Russian Federation, lawyers have greater independence, and regional law chambers play a significant role. In the Republic of Belarus, advocacy is centralized, cooperates more with government agencies, which is why the problem of the influence of state control on the independence of the advocacy remains at present. In Belarus, a license is required to practice law, which is issued by the Ministry of Justice. The restriction on the choice of legal education in Belarus restricts the right to choose a lawyer, since the Ministry of Justice regulates the creation of legal entities and their activities. There are also legal gaps in the area of attorney-client privilege that need to be addressed. In Russia, candidates for the status of a lawyer must add a condition for completing an internship in law education. It is also necessary to create a general concept for the development of the legal profession in the country, the main direction of which is to choose the development of free legal aid. It is proposed to legislatively regulate the provision of free legal assistance by a lawyer to foreign citizens and stateless persons. Conclusions. Legislative changes are proposed for the development of the advocacy in Russia and Belarus, since in both countries there are a number of legal problems that require new solutions in order to protect the rights and legitimate interests of individuals and legal entities, participate in the administration of justice and promote the rule of law.