Bill would do away with 90% of lawyers

Azerbaijan amendments passed by parliament require approval of country’s president.

“Under the amendments, an estimated 8,000 registered lawyers stand to be barred from representing clients in any Azerbaijani court, leaving a nation of nearly 10 million people with only 934 registered legal professionals.”

http://www.eurasianet.org/node/85946

One of two things happens: The country collapses, or it gets better.

Okay. A third possibility: “The amendments could turn out to be an attempt to bully independent-minded hüquqşünaslar* into submission, rather than legislate them out of existence. They also may constitute a test case in which Azerbaijan is pushing the boundaries to see how far western governments will permit Baku to stray from its international norms governing basic rights without facing serious consequences.”

Registered lawyers who have not passed the bar but who represent clients in non-criminal cases.

One more thing: Apparently, the government could not be reached for comment.