Lidia Izovitova

Date of Birth: 03.10.1947

Lidia Pavlovna Izovitova - Chairwoman of the National Bar Association of Ukraine and the Council of Lawyers of Ukraine. On June 9, 2017, she was elected for the second time by the Reporting and Election Congress of Lawyers as the Chairwoman of the NAV (a new term begins in November 2017). President of the Bar Association of Ukraine (2011-2016).

Place of Birth, Education. Born in Khristinovka, Cherkasy region. In 1972 she graduated from the Kharkiv Law Institute with a focus on law.

Career. After graduating, she worked until 2004 as a lawyer in the Kharkiv Oblast Bar Association. Since 1990, Izovitova has been leading the legislative department of the Bar Association of Ukraine.

In 1998, she became a member of the High Council of Justice (VRP), whose main goal is to 'form a highly qualified corps of judges that can administer justice fairly, honestly, and continuously' along with other state institutions. In February 2004, she was re-elected at the Congress of Lawyers of Ukraine for another six-year term.

From 2001 to November 2011, she was the Vice President of the Bar Association of Ukraine, which has been led since its inception by Leonid Kuchma, the former head of the Presidential Administration of Ukraine, and the leader of the SDPU(o) Victor Medvedchuk.

In June 2004, she became the Deputy Chair of the High Council of Justice. Since January 13, 2006, after the Council granted Nikolay Shelest's request for early dismissal as Chair of the Council at his personal request, Izovitova has performed the duties of the Chair. On March 28, 2007, she was elected as Chair. Her candidacy was supported in a secret ballot by all 14 members of the VRP participating in the election of the chair (the Council consists of 20 members in total).

From March 22, 2010, to May 16, 2013, she served as the Deputy Chair of the High Council of Justice. Izovitova was succeeded as Chair of the VRP by Vladimir Kolesnichenko.

From November 2011 to 2016, she was the President of the Bar Association of Ukraine.

On November 17, 2012, she was elected Chair of the National Bar Association of Ukraine and the Council of Lawyers of Ukraine by a Congress of Lawyers.

From May 16, 2013, to April 10, 2014, she was the Secretary of the section of the High Council of Justice for the appointment and dismissal of judges.

On June 9, 2017, she was elected Chair of the NAV for the second time by the Reporting and Election Congress of Lawyers.

Views and Evaluations. During her time, Izovitova received a controversial evaluation when the VRP discussed the dismissal of the judge of the Kyiv Court of Appeal, Yuri Vasilenko, who initiated two prosecutions against President Kuchma in 2003. Izovitova vehemently defended the immunity of Leonid Danilovich as a reporter and tried to convince her colleagues against the involvement and politicization of the judge.

According to the Kyiv lawyer Tatiana Montyan (the wife of judge Vasilenko), expressed in the Po-kievskiy newspaper, Izovitova herself is 'an engaged person', and for her 'it doesn't matter which political force she works for', and 'her election will bring nothing good for the justice system'. Nevertheless, Igor Koliushko, the head of the Center for Political-Legal Reforms, believes that under Izovitova's leadership, no fundamental changes in the work of the VRP will occur (especially since she effectively led the Council even before her election). Regarding the strategically important question of judicial reform, the expert stated, the VRP has no influence. According to Article 131 of the Constitution of Ukraine, the Council deals with personal matters of judges.

Awards and Prizes. Isville - Honored Lawyer of Ukraine. Awarded with the Order 'For Merit' III class and with a diploma of honor from the Ukrainian Parliament.

Family Relations. She has a son and a daughter.

03.10.2023