The problems and solutions of the defense lawyer in criminal court: digital time challenges

The article discusses the rules of appointing a defense lawyer in criminal proceedings. The author analyzes the regional chambers of lawyers practice; based on the analysis of the disciplinary practice, the author identifi es the main problems that appear in the activities of defense appointed lawyers while using the automated systems for distributing assignments between appointed lawyers by the bodies of inquiry, investigation or court, and possible ways to solve them. The article draws attention to the fact that the introduction of automated systems for appointing lawyers as defenders in criminal proceedings by regional chambers of lawyers have generally resolved such problems as transparency, efficiency, fair and even distribution of cases between lawyers appointed by the bodies of inquiry, investigation or court, as well as providing a defender by appointment under the control of the lawyers’ self-government bodies at any stage of the proceedings. Based on the analysis of the disciplinary practices of the chambers of law, the author identifi es the problems in using digital technologies during the process of appointing a defender in criminal proceedings. In particular, attention is drawn to the lingering problem of «double defense», the emerging problem of initiating the conclusion of a defense lawyer agreement for one procedural action by the prosecution in order to circumvent the procedure for appointing a defense lawyer established by regional chambers of lawyers, as well as the problem of formation of the several applications in one criminal case against one person in the automated system made by the bodies of inquiry or investigation in order to be able to choose the most «convenient» lawyer. The solution to mentioned problems is possible by introducing the functionality into the automated information systems for the appointment of a lawyerdefender that obliges initiators (interrogators, investigators or the court) to enter information about the presence or absence of a lawyer by agreement and / or about previously appointed participating) lawyers, as well as indicate the reasons for the formation of an electronic application during fi lling out an electronic application. The article substantiates the need for constant monitoring of the work of automated systems for appointing a lawyer-defender based on the analysis of disciplinary practices of lawyer’s chambers in order to unify the use of digital technologies for appointing a lawyer in criminal proceedings and minimize the abuse of the right both by lawyers and by the bodies of inquiry, investigation or court.

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