The Turkish Parliament on Saturday passed contentious legislation amending laws governing attorneys and bar associations.
According to the new law, there will no longer be one bar association for each province. However, the associations will still be administrated from one united center, which is the Union of Turkish Bar Associations (TBB). The government has said the law would create a “more democratic and pluralistic” system.
The regulation for the multiple bar association system was opposed by all 80 existing bar associations, 29 of which marched to Ankara last month. These bar associations called on the government to stop work on a multiple bar associations system, a proposal that even the bar associations that did not participate in the protests have united against.
Turkish opposition parties have also spoken out against the new law. The main opposition party, the Republican People's Party (CHP), has said it will appeal to the Constitutional Court.
The law mainly affects metropoles such as Istanbul, Izmir and Ankara, due to their large number of lawyers. For instance, in Istanbul, there could be five different bar associations at the same time.
The lawyers will be able to choose any one of the bars in provinces where there are more than one bar association. If the number of lawyers falls below 2,000 in an association, the TBB will demand the association incorporate the minimum number of lawyers within six months. If the number is not provided, the TBB will end the association’s legal entity and publish this decision on its official website. Those lawyers and interns that were registered to the association will register with another association if there is one in the province within 15 days after the announcement of the TBB and will continue their work in this association. The liquidation procedures of the association will be managed by its last administrative board and under the control of the TBB, while the union will receive the remaining assets of the association.
