The court practice comprises different understanding of the place and role of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, 1950 (hereinafter – the Convention) and the case law of the European Court of Human Rights (hereinafter – ECtHR) in the context of the Ukrainian legal system, and this entails negative implications for the protection of human and citizen’s rights and freedoms. Some courts assert that only ECtHR judgments in cases against Ukraine are the source of law in Ukraine, while others also refer to judgments against other States. In some cases, courts use legal positions of the ECtHR when it is clear that application of national law will entail a violation of the Convention’s requirements. In other cases, courts do not accept arguments of the parties that the ECtHR’s legal positions should be used arguing that national law provides for a different procedure of case resolution. The purpose of this article is to prove that the Convention as a statute of higher legal force as regards national law should be applied to the extent similar to the correlation of human and citizen’s rights and freedoms entrenched in the Constitution of Ukraine to the relevant rights provided for in the Convention; the article also aims at arguing that the ECtHR judgments rendered in cases against Ukraine as well as against other States may be used by courts as a weighty justification in favor of legal positions determined by national courts, and are the source of law in Ukraine and do not require legislative recognition. The constitutional level of the Convention, together with the EChHR case law, puts it into a special place in the national legal system and judicial practice of Ukraine which is nevertheless limited by the supremacy of the Constitution of Ukraine. The Convention as a legal standard for the protection of human and citizen’s rights should be taken into account to the same extent as human rights enshrined in the Constitution of Ukraine correlate with the Convention. Legal positions of the ECtHR, which are individual in terms of factual circumstances of the case and their legal qualification from the perspective of national law, make their automatic use impossible in a specific case within the framework of other national legal systems. They form a legal standard which explains why a particular judgment was rendered in a particular case, i.e. what we call “case in precedent” (stare decisis) or the concept of “settled court practice” (jurisprudence constante), and in any case are inextricably linked with the act interpreted. The ECtHR case law has weight in the context of law interpretation by national courts, and thus in the hierarchy of sources of law the ECtHR acts are at the same level as the Convention, since they are its continuation, in the same manner as provisions of current laws of Ukraine which are interpreted by national courts. In particular, a legal standard established by the Constitutional Court of Ukraine by interpreting the Constitution of Ukraine becomes its integral part. Accordingly, legal standards of the ECtHR or any other court are present at each level of the hierarchy of statutory instruments within the framework of different national legal systems. Therefore, the ECtHR judgments rendered in cases against Ukraine as well as against other States are the source of law in Ukraine and do not need any “additional” legislative recognition.

List of legal documents

Legislation

1. Konstytutsiia Ukrainy [Constitution of Ukraine]: Zakon Ukrainy [Law of Ukraine] vid 28 chervnia 1996 r. № 254k/96-VR. URL: http://zakon0.rada.gov.ua/laws/ show/254%D0%BA/96-%D0%B2%D1%80 (accessed: 01.02.2018) (in Ukrainian).

2. Konventsiia pro zakhyst prav liudyny i osnovopolozhnykh svobod [Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms] vid 4 lystopada 1950 r.: ratyfikovano Zakonom Ukrainy [Ratified by the Law of Ukraine] vid 17 lypnia 1997 r. № 475/97-VR. URL: http://zakon3.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/995_004 (accessed: 01.02.2018) (in Ukrainian).

3. Pro mizhnarodni dohovory Ukrainy [On International Treaties of Ukraine]: Zakon Ukrainy [Law of Ukraine] vid 29 chervnia 2004 r. № 1906-IV. URL: http://zakon3.rada. gov.ua/laws/show/1906-15 (accessed: 01.02.2018) (in Ukrainian).

4. Pro vykonannia rishen ta zastosuvannia praktyky Yevropeiskoho sudu z prav liudyny [On Implementation of Judgments and Application of the Case Law of the European Court of Human Rights]: Zakon Ukrainy [Law of Ukraine] vid 23 liutoho 2006 r. № 3477-IV. URL: http://zakon2.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/3477-15 (accessed: 01.02.2018) (in Ukrainian).

Cases

5. Konstytutsiine podannia Upovnovazhenoho Verkhovnoi Rady Ukrainy z prav liudyny shchodo ofitsiinoho tlumachennia statti 9 Konstytutsii Ukrainy [Constitutional Petition of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine’s Ombudsman for Human Rights Concerning Official Interpretation of Article 9 of the Constitution of Ukraine] vid 5 zhovtnia 2017 r. № 1-2245/17-107. URL: http://www.ccu.gov.ua/sites/default/files/5_4117.pdf (accessed: 01.02.2018) (in Ukrainian).

6. Rishennia Konstytutsiinoho Sudu Ukrainy vid 1 chervnia 2016 r. № 2-rp/2016 u spravi za konstytutsiinym podanniam Upovnovazhenoho Verkhovnoi Rady Ukrainy z prav liudyny shchodo vidpovidnosti Konstytutsii Ukrainy (konstytutsiinosti) polozhennia tretoho rechennia chastyny pershoi statti 13 Zakonu Ukrainy “Pro psykhiatrychnu dopomohu” (sprava pro sudovyi kontrol za hospitalizatsiieiu nediiezdatnykh osib do psykhiatrychnoho zakladu) [Decision of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine Dated June 1, 2016 № 2-rp/2016 in the Case Following the Constitutional Petition of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine’s Ombudsman for Human Rights Concerning the Compliance with the Constitution of Ukraine (Constitutionality) of the Provision Set Forth in the Third Sentence of Part One, Article 13 of the Law of Ukraine “On Psychiatric Care” (Case of Judicial Control over Legally Incapable Persons Hospitalization to a Psychiatric Institution)] (sprava № 1-1/2016). URL: http://www.ccu.gov.ua/sites/ default/files/ndf/2-rp2016.pdf (accessed: 03.02.2018) (in Ukrainian).

7. Rishennia Konstytutsiinoho Sudu Ukrainy vid 8 veresnia 2016 r. № 6-rp/2016 u spravi za konstytutsiinym podanniam Upovnovazhenoho Verkhovnoi Rady Ukrainy z prav liudyny shchodo vidpovidnosti Konstytutsii Ukrainy (konstytutsiinosti) polozhen chastyny p’iatoi statti 21 Zakonu Ukrainy “Pro svobodu sovisti ta relihiini orhanizatsii” (sprava pro zavchasne spovishchennia pro provedennia publichnykh bohosluzhin, relihiinykh obriadiv, tseremonii ta protsesii) [Decision of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine Dated September 8, 2016 № 6-rp/2016 in the Case Following the Constitutional Petition of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine’s Ombudsman for Human Rights Concerning the Compliance with the Constitution of Ukraine (Constitutionality) of Provisions of Part Five, Article 21 of the Law of Ukraine “On the Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations” (Case of Early Notification about the Holding of Public Worship Services, Religious Rites, Ceremonies and Processions)] (sprava № 1-13/2016). URL: http://www.ccu.gov.ua/sites/default/files/docs/6-pn-2016.pdf (acces sed: 03.02.2018) (in Ukrainian).

8. Rishennia Konstytutsiinoho Sudu Ukrainy vid 9 lypnia 1998 r. № 12-rp/98 u spravi za konstytutsiinym zvernenniam Kyivskoi miskoi rady profesiinykh spilok shchodo ofitsiinoho tlumachennia chastyny tretoi statti 21 Kodeksu zakoniv pro pratsiu Ukrainy (sprava pro tlumachennia termina “zakonodavstvo”) [Decision of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine Dated July 9, 1998 № 12-rp/98 in the Case Following the Constitu - tional Petition of the Kyiv City Council of Trade Unions Concerning Official Interpretation of Part Three, Article 21 of the Labor Code of Ukraine (Case of Interpretation of the Term “Legislation”)] (sprava № 17/81-97; № 1-1/98). URL: http://zakon5.rada. gov.ua/laws/show/v012p710-98 (accessed: 01.02.2018) (in Ukrainian).

Bibliography

Authored books

9. Holovatyi Serhii, Pro liudski prava: lektsii [On Human Rights: Lectures] (Dukh i Litera 2016) (in Ukrainian).

10. Onishchenko Nataliia, Pravova systema: problemy teorii: monohrafiia [Legal System: Issues of Theory: Monograph] (Instytut derzhavy i prava im V M Koretskoho NAN Ukrainy 2002) (in Ukrainian).

11. Shevchuk Stanislav, Osnovy konstytutsiinoi yurysprudentsii: navchalnyi posibnyk [Foundations of Constitutional Jurisprudence: Training Manual] (Konsum 2002) (in Ukrainian).

Edited and translated books

12. Bernam Uil’jam, Pravovaja sistema SShA [USA Legal System] (Vlasihin V red, Aleksandrov A i drugie per, 3 vyp, Novaja justicija 2006) (in Russian).

13. Denysov Volodymyr ta Melnyk Andrii, ‘Rozvytok pravovykh zasad ta mekhanizmiv verkhovenstva mizhnarodnoho prava u vnutrishnomu pravi Ukrainy’ [‘Development of the Legal Framework and Mechanisms for the Rule of International Law in the National Law of Ukraine’] v Denysov V (red), Vzaiemodiia mizhnarodnoho prava z vnutrishnim pravom Ukrainy [Interaction of International Law with the National Law of the Ukraine] (Iustynian 2006) (in Ukrainian).

14. Luchin Viktor, Konstitucionnye normy i pravootnoshenija: uchebnoe posobie dlja studentov juridicheskih fakul’tetov vuzov [Constitutional Provisions and Legal Relations: Training Manual for Students of Law Faculties of Higher Education Institutions] (Jeriashvili N red, JuNITI 1997) (in Russian).

15. Shapoval Vladimir, ‘Soderzhanie konstitucii v kontekste mezhdunarodnogo prava’ [‘The Contents of the Constitution in the Context of International Law’] v Mel’nik A ta Mel’nik S ta Korotkij T (red), Mezhdunarodnoe pravo kak osnova sovremennogo miroporjadka: Liber Amicorum k 75-letiju prof V N Denisova [International Law as the Basis of Modern World Order: Liber Amicorum to the 75th Anniversary of Professor V N Denisov] (Feniks 2012) (in Russian).

Journal articles

16. Bilak Myroslava, ‘Znachennia Uhody pro asotsiatsiiu z YeS: novi vyklyky dlia konstytutsiinoho poriadku chy poslablennia pozytsii Osnovnoho Zakonu’ [‘Implications of the EU Association Agreement: New Challenges for the Constitutional Order or Weakening of the Fundamental Law Position’] (2017) 193 Naukovi zapysky NaUKMA Yurydychni nauky 12 (in Ukrainian).

17. Korchevna Liubov, ‘Ukrainske pravo i romano-hermanska tradytsiia’ [‘Ukrainian Law and Romano-Germanic Tradition’] (2004) 5 Pravo Ukrainy 19 (in Ukrainian).

18. Shevchuk Stanislav, ‘Uzghodzhenist praktyky Yevropeiskoho sudu z prav liudyny ta Konstytutsiinoho Sudu Ukrainy’ [‘Consistency of Practice of the European Court of Human Rights and the Constitutional Court of Ukraine’] (2011) 4-5 Visnyk Konstytutsiinoho Sudu Ukrainy 122 (in Ukrainian).

Conference papers

19. Khorolskyi Robert, ‘Zastosuvannia zakonu iz nechitkym zmistom: dosvid SShA ta yevropeiskykh sudiv (Ievropeiskoho sudu z prav liudyny, Sudu Yevropeiskykh spivtovarystv) i mozhlyvist yoho zastosuvannia v Ukraini’ [‘Application of the Law with Vague Meaning: Experience of the USA and the European Courts (the European Court of Human Rights, the Court of Justice of the European Communities) and the Prospects of its Application in Ukraine’] Yurydychna metodolohiia – osnova harmonizatsii zakonodavstva Ukrainy do zakonodavstva YeS: Mizhnarodnyi seminar [Legal Methodology as the Basis for Harmonization of Ukrainian Legislation with EU Legislation: International Seminar] (Ukrainsko-ievropeiskyi konsultatyvnyi tsentr z pytan zakonodavstva 2003) (in Ukrainian).

Thesis abstracts

20. Shevchuk Stanislav, ‘Zahalnoteoretychni problemy normatyvnosti aktiv sudovoi vlady’ [‘General Theoretical Issues of the Normativity of Judiciary Acts’] (avtoref dys d-ra yuryd nauk, Natsionalna yurydychna akademiia Ukrainy imeni Yaroslava Mudroho 2008) (in Ukrainian).

Websites

21. Khavroniuk Mykola, ‘Konstytutsiina skarha i kryminalne pravo’ [‘Constitutional Claim and Criminal Law’] (Tsentr polityko-pravovykh reform, 21 Hruden 2017) <http://pravo.org.ua/ua/news/20872546-konstitutsiyna-skarga-i-kriminalne-pravo> accessed 2 Feb ruary 2018 (in Ukrainian).

Newspaper articles

22. Shevchuk Stanislav, ‘Sudy zahalnoi yurysdyktsii chasto ne bachat fundamentalnoi pryrody konstytutsiinykh prav ta zastosovuiut lyshe zakony’ [‘General Jurisdiction Courts Often Do Not See the Fundamental Nature of the Constitutional Rights and Use only Laws’] Zakon i biznes (Kyiv, 26 Lystopad – 2 Hruden 2016) (in Ukrainian).