Highlights of the Plenary Session on 27 November 2025 in Paris
Key highlights & 65th anniversary of the CCBE
The CCBE Plenary Session took place on 27 November 2025 in Paris, to address pressing issues for European #lawyers, including #humanrights, #migration, #deontology, and #accesstojustice.
Celebrating the 65th anniversary of the CCBE, Michael McGrath, European Commission Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection, opened the meeting with insightful remarks reflecting on past CCBE milestones, contributions over the years, and highlighting the crucial role of the CCBE and lawyers to uphold, protect and promote justice, the rule of law, democracy and fundamental rights across our union.
📢 Welcoming remarks
The CCBE was welcomed in Paris by:
• Julie Couturier, President of CNB Conseil National des Barreaux
• Louis Degos, President-elect of Barreau de Paris / Ordre des avocats de Paris
• Christophe Bayle, First Vice-President of the Conférence des Bâtonniers
🗣️ Insights on the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of the Profession of Lawyers
The CCBE heard valuable contributions from distinguished guests:
• Teong Liang Yap, President of the LAWASIA
• Steven Richman, Chair of the Bar Issues Commission, International Bar Association
• Fernando Hernández Gómez, President of the Union International des Avocats – UIA and François Moyse, President of the UIA Committee on the Convention on the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer
📝 The following documents were adopted and will shortly be available on the CCBE website:
• CCBE Guide for Lawyers on the New Pact on Migration and Asylum
• CCBE response to the public consultation on the revision of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency Regulation
📢 Election of the 2026 CCBE Presidency
From January 2026, the new CCBE Presidency will be:
• Roman Zavrsek (Slovenia) – CCBE President
• Alex Tallon (Belgium) – First Vice-President
• Imbi Jürgen (Estonia) – Second Vice-President
• Noemí Alarcón Velasco (Spain) – Third Vice-President
🏆 CCBE Human Rights Award 2025
Thierry Wickers, CCBE President, and Barbara Porta, CCBE Chair of the Human Rights Committee, presented the CCBE Human Rights Award 2025 to Sonia Dahmani, Tunisian lawyer, in recognition of her courage and commitment to defending human rights, freedom of expression, and the independence of the legal profession in Tunisia.
The award ceremony opened with a speech by Honourable Commissioner Salma Sassi, African Commission on Human and People’s Rights, African Union.
In a very emotional moment, Ramla Dahmani received the award on behalf of her sister, just released from prison, as she was addressing the CCBE assembly.
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Highlights of the CCBE Standing Committee on 3 October 2025
The CCBE Standing Committee meeting took place in Brussels on 3 October 2025.
The CCBE was honoured to welcome Judge Beti HOHLER from the International Criminal Court and Julien Mousnier, Director of Rule of Law, Fundamental Rights and Democracy Department (JUST.C) at the European Commission, presenting the 2025 Rule of Law Report and EU Justice Scoreboard.
During the meeting, CCBE delegations approved several important documents, which will soon be available on ccbe.eu, including our:
🔹guidelines on the use of generative AI in legal practice
🔹contribution to the High-Level Forum on the Future of EU Criminal Justice
🔹statement in support of all lawyers working in the field of migration and of the need to safeguard access to asylum
🔹statement calling for the swift signature and ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer: https://lnkd.in/eZQb9j5q
🔹contribution for the European Judicial Training Strategy 2025-2030: https://lnkd.in/eeBZVr_U
Stay tuned to our social media so you don’t miss anything!
The CCBE was pleased to welcome Dr. Nicholas A. Ioannides, Deputy Minister for Migration and International Protection of the Republic of Cyprus, who shared insightful opening remarks.
Several position papers were also adopted during the Standing Committee, which will soon be available on ccbe.eu:
— Rule of Law
🔹 CCBE contribution to the Rule of Law Report 2026;
🔹 CCBE statement on the Protection of international law and justice;
— Anti-Money Laundering
🔹 CCBE interpretative note regarding Article 70 of the AML Regulation;
— Future of the Legal Profession and Legal Services
🔹 CCBE roadmap on innovation in legal services;
— Environment and climate change and Deontology
🔹CCBE statement on the issue of emissions associated with a client’s activities;
Highlights of the Plenary Session on 16 May 2026 in Bordeaux
The CCBE PlenarySession in Bordeaux brought together over 100 CCBE national delegations’ representatives for key discussions on the role of lawyers in upholding the #ruleoflaw in Europe and beyond, and to attend the CCBE Amicus Curiae Contest Award Ceremony.
Discover the highlights of the day:
🔹 The session opened with insightful remarks from Caroline Laveissière, Bâtonnière of Bordeaux, and Jérôme Delas, Vice-Bâtonnier.
🚩 Since 13 May 2025, the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer is open for signature. 17 signatories have already supported the Convention, and the CCBE continues to encourage its swift signature and ratification by as many countries as possible. Daniele Nicola Cangemi, Head of the Department of Human Rights, Justice and Legal Co-operation standard-setting activities, delivered a speech to highlight its impactful role for the legal profession.
🔹The CCBE welcomed a representative of the Union of Turkish Bar Associations (UTBA), Kasım Akbaş, Senior Advisor to the President; and the President of the Istanbul Bar, İbrahim Ö. Kaboğlu, to discuss the ongoing situation of lawyers in #Türkiye.
📢In this context, the CCBE expressed full support for the Istanbul Bar Association ahead of the criminal hearing scheduled for 28–29 May 2025. The independence of lawyers and their representative bodies is an essential cornerstone of the rule of law. 🔎 Read the CCBE statement here: https://www.ccbe.eu/…/EN_HR_20250516_CCBE-Statement-in…
🏆 Amicus Curiae Contest Award Ceremony 2025: Congratulations to Léa Silveira, law student at IE University (Madrid), winner of the 2025 #CCBEACC, which rewards law students & trainee lawyers for a fictitious brief on the case of a lawyer working to defend #humanrights.
🔹 As part of its ongoing work, the CCBE also revised several key professional documents, including the Code of Conduct for European Lawyers and practical guides for proceedings before EU courts.