“Today, lawyers face real and serious threats.
In recent months, there have even been unprecedented cases where lawyers have been summoned as witnesses in the very cases in which they were acting as defense counsel.
This directly contradicts not only professional legal ethics but also the very essence of the right to defense. Communication between a lawyer and a client must be inviolable. This is a fundamental guarantee of legal protection,” says Ana Loria, lawyer and member of the Georgian Association of Arbitrators.
Ana Loria is a candidate for membership of the Executive Council of the Georgian Bar Association.
On December 13–14, the General Assembly of the Georgian Bar Association will be held in Tbilisi. During the assembly, members will elect the Executive Council, the Ethics Commission, and the Audit Commission. On December 14, the new Chair of the Georgian Bar Association will also be elected.
The Georgian Bar Association unites more than 11,000 lawyers, of whom approximately 5,500 hold active status.
Ana Loria, who has prior experience working on the Bar Association’s Ethics Commission, explains why she decided to run for the Executive Council.
“A strong and independent professional association of lawyers is vital for a democratic state. The right to a fair trial and the proper functioning of a just legal system cannot be ensured without strong, free, independent, and qualified legal defense.
Together with my team, we have the knowledge and capacity to establish professional standards that ensure real independence, equality, protection, and the strengthening of the lawyer’s essential role,” Ana Loria told Batumelebi.
Loria clearly explains the concept of so-called political neutrality, which has become one of the most actively debated issues in legal circles ahead of the Bar Association elections.
“Political neutrality means maintaining an impartial position on political issues.
However, political neutrality does not mean remaining silent when the Constitution is violated, unjust laws are adopted, human rights are infringed, lawyers’ rights are violated, interference occurs in the independence of the legal profession, or the rule of law is called into question.
In such cases, silence is not neutrality. It is conformism,” Loria told Batumelebi.
She says her professional background is grounded in many years of experience in legal ethics, disciplinary proceedings, improving the quality of legal education, and the systemic development of professional standards for lawyers.
“In disciplinary proceedings, we conduct hearings every week where interests, emotions, and legal arguments collide. In such an environment, the most important skill is maintaining an impartial and independent position and managing the process so that all parties feel protected, equal, and treated fairly.
This is exactly the skill that is essential in the Executive Council, whether in collegial decision-making, crisis management, or regulating complex processes,” says Loria.
The lawyer also speaks about the needs of attorneys and how she intends to support her colleagues from the position of Executive Council member.
“Today, artificial restrictions on the right to defense are frequent. Lawyers are prevented from exercising their defense rights, from freely communicating with clients at any time, and are subjected to restricted hours and other technical obstacles. All of this directly undermines the effective exercise of defense.
Under such conditions, how can we claim that lawyers are able to practice their profession in a free environment?
In reality, lawyers are forced to work under unequal conditions. We urgently need real mechanisms for professional protection, as well as strengthened guarantees of independence and security.
Our team offers lawyers the actual implementation of protection mechanisms and the reinforcement of independence guarantees,” Loria says.
Ana Loria was nominated as a candidate for the Executive Council by the Association of Georgian Law Firms. She outlines a clear vision of how the Bar Association should protect lawyers.
“It is essential to activate rapid and effective response mechanisms to pressure on lawyers. Legal protection of lawyers must exist not only de jure, but de facto, in real, everyday practice. The safety of lawyers is a matter of public interest and should not be perceived as merely a personal issue of an individual lawyer.
It is particularly important to consider the needs of lawyers working in the regions. Concrete steps must be taken to strengthen both protection and professional development opportunities for regional lawyers, creating real pathways for their growth.
It is also important to strengthen the link between academic and professional spaces. The academic sector and the Bar Association should jointly develop unified standards of knowledge and skills that respond to practical needs and ensure continuous, high-quality, and modern professional development for lawyers,” Loria says.
According to Ana Loria, she is part of a team of lawyers participating in the elections under the banner of the Association of Georgian Law Firms.
“We united around shared ideas, principles, and values to achieve one core goal: strengthening the legal profession and taking concrete action to prevent any unlawful interference in lawyers’ professional activities. Our priority is the professional development and advancement of lawyers and the creation of equal opportunities for all.
Our team offers lawyers expertise, transparent governance, and a realistic vision of how to protect and develop our profession,” Ana Loria says.