Starting from 19 May 2024, the Convention on Legal Aid and Legal Relations in Civil, Family and Criminal Caes of 1993, as well as its 1997 Protocol, will officially terminate.
In addition to Ukraine, the parties to this document are also Azerbaijan, Belarus, Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, the Russian federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. On 27 December 2022, the Convention was suspended in relations with the russian federation and the Republic of Belarus.
Legal cooperation in civil and criminal cases with these countries will be based on bilateral international treaties. In addition, the cooperation will be carried out within the framework of international legal instruments operating within the Council of Europe, the United Nations and the Hague Conference on Private International Law, which were in force in relations with the above-mentioned states.
Thus, starting from 19 May 2024, when the Convention will officially cease to be in force, the use of documents issued in the above-mentioned states will require the use of an apostille. Moldova, Uzbekistan and Georgia will be the exceptions to this rule. Further cooperation in these countries will be based on existing bilateral agreements.
The Treaty on Legal Aid and Legal Relations in Civil and Criminal Cases of 1993 will remain in force between Ukraine and Moldova. The Treaty on Legal Aid and Legal Relations in Civil and Criminal Cases of 1995 between Ukraine and the Republic of Georgia will be in force. The Treaty on Legal Aid and Legal Relations in Civil and Family Cases of 1998 will be in force between Ukraine and the Republic of Uzbekistan accordingly. Thus, based on the existing agreements between these countries, after 19 May 2024, all documents issued in these countries will be valid without the need for additional certification.
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