The History of the Ukrainian Legal System

The Ukrainian legal system is very close to the Romano-Germanic legal family. After the October Revolution of 1917 the establishment of the Soviet law in Ukraine was closely connected with the spreading of Soviet power and creation of Soviet state bodies. The peculiarity of the Soviet legal system in Ukraine was that it was based on the legal system of the Bolshevik Russia. That is, it was a reception in a very primitive form: the application of the laws of one state in the conditions of the other. As in every federal state, in the USSR the competencies were divided between the Union and the Union Republics. Foundations of legislation, codes, decrees of the Presidiums of the Supreme Councils of the USSR and Ukraine, various legal acts adopted by all-Union and Republic Ministries, including those adopted jointly with CPSU Central Committee, regulations, instructions, guiding materials, statutes, branch enactments and even the revolutionary feeling of justice were used as legal sources. Judicial practice did not belong to the legal sources. The access to the legislation was restricted. The criteria of such restriction were not defined, but in essence it was a policy of depriving people of their individual rights and liberties.

After the Declaration of Independence the need appeared to build a new state and reform the existing legal system in accordance with the state building tasks. So the main purposes stood for a new state: to reject the inappropriate dogmas of the Soviet law and establish the backgrounds and elements of market economy with its legal relationships. The promulgation of new legislation has begun with adapting relevant norms, the adoption of normative acts in the fields of relations, which had not been regulated by the current legislation, and development of the large codification embracing all areas of law. Joining the Council of Europe, Ukraine has taken obligations to improve its legislation in regard with the human rights protection, and to ensure legal and judicial reform.

Main Sources of Ukrainian Law

The Ukrainian legislative system is based on the systematically organized and concerted legal rules (norms), which are combined to constitute different legal fields.

The principal source of Ukrainian law is the Constitution of Ukraine which has the highest legal force. The norms of the Constitution of Ukraine are norms of a direct effect. Appeals to the court in defence of the constitutional rights and freedoms of the individuals and citizens are guaranteed directly on the grounds of the Constitution. The principle of the rule of law was recognized by the Constitution and became effective. Laws and other normative legal acts should be adopted on its basis and conform to it.

Normative legal acts embrace not only laws proper (zakon) but also various normative acts of competent state bodies issued on the basis of laws, in accordance with laws and for their execution. Normative legal acts in Ukraine have different legal validity depending on the law-making subject.

In accordance with the Decree of the Verkhovna Rada On the order of temporary validity of some legal acts of the former USSR on the territory of Ukraine, such documents are in force in some branches till adoption of the new legislation.

In Ukraine the right to adopt laws belongs exclusively to the competencies of the Verkhovna Rada. The right of legislative initiative in the Verkhovna Rada belongs to the President, National Deputies and the Cabinet of Ministers.

The Verkhovna Rada and other state authority bodies are entitled to issue normative acts ofthe under-law-level in questions assigned to its jurisdiction. The President of Ukraine, on the basis and for the execution of the Constitution and the laws of Ukraine, issues decrees (ukazy)and directives [di΄rektiv] (rozporiadzhennia). The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, within the limits of its competence, issues resolutions (postanovy) and orders (nakazy). All the documents produced by the highest power bodies are mandatory for execution on the territory of Ukraine.

Individual ministries, state agencies and committees, in pursuance of laws of Ukraine, issue resolutions, directives and orders within the specific sphere of their competence. All these normative legal acts, normative acts of the National Bank of Ukraine and international treaties ofUkraine are registered at the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine.

     Another type of law source is a normative legislation (law-making) which is a mutual agreement and contains the legal rules established by law-making subjects as a result of their multilateral agreement and supported by the state. Such agreements are very important in the spheres of civil, commercial and assets relations.

     Acts which govern the observance, execution and application of legal norms (law-implementation acts) are issued by competent bodies or officials within the limits of their authority, e.g. the Office of Public Prosecutor, courts or administrative commissions.

Legal customs, ecclesiastical rules, judicial practice and the doctrine [΄doktrin] consisting of commentaries, articles, books, encyclopaedias are not recognized as sources of law in Ukraine.

2. Find in the text English equivalents for the following words and expressions.

A . Застосування законів однієї країни на умовах іншої; революційне почуття справедливості; судова практика; належати до джерел права; по суті; політика позбавлення людей їх особистих прав та свобод; реформувати правову систему; згідно з завданнями побудови держави; відкинути неприйнятні догми; елементи ринкової економіки; адаптувати відповідні норми; не були врегульовані чинним законодавством; охоплювати всі галузі права; законодавство, яке стосується захисту прав людини; прийняття нормативних актів; Рада Європи; оприлюднення нового законодавства; забезпечити правову та судову реформи.

B. Захист конституційних прав; верховенство права; стосуватися не лише самих законів, але і різноманітних нормативних актів; бути в силі; прийняття нового законодавства; мати право видавати закони; видавати укази та розпорядження; мати право видавати нормативні акти; у межах своєї компетенції; народні депутати; Кабінет міністрів; національний банк; право законодавчої ініціативи; обов’язкові для виконання; зареєстровані Міністерством юстиції; прокуратура; виконуючи закони України.

3. Fill in the appropriate word. A.

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