EU Court Upholds Ban on Legal Services to Russian Entities

The European Union Court has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Belgian bar associations that challenged the 2022 sanctions prohibiting legal services to Russian companies and state institutions.

In 2022, in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the EU implemented a series of restrictive measures, including a ban on providing legal advisory services.

Several Belgian legal associations brought the case before the General Court of the European Union, seeking to overturn the ban. They claimed that the prohibition "violates fundamental rights, such as access to legal counsel, attorney-client privilege, the duty of lawyer independence, the values of the rule of law, and the principles of proportionality and legal certainty."

The EU Court rejected the lawsuit, clarifying that the ban on offering legal services to the Russian government or Russian entities does not extend to judicial proceedings and does not apply to individuals.

"The Court finds that the challenged ban, along with its provisions for exceptions and exemptions, serves legitimate public interest goals without undermining the essential role of lawyers in a democratic society," the statement read.