Accurate and appropriate understanding of the subject matter of administrative law is crucial for the administrative justice domain, since the subject matter of administrative law allows setting precise limits of jurisdiction of administrative courts. The subject matter of administrative law is also the determining factor for the purpose of administrative law study by students and for making of administrative law research. All this necessitates the formulation of a complete and perfect theory (concept) of the subject matter of administrative law. The purpose of this article is to formulate the author’s conception of the subject matter of administrative law from the perspective of the analysis of historical experience and in the context of a critical study of works by modern administrative law scholars. The article offers the analysis of scientific works by Soviet scholars focused on the essence and contents of the subject matter of administrative law. The author succeeded in establishing and explaining the reasons for introduction of the category “subject matter of legal regulation” into the scientific use which was done by Professor N. Arzhanov in contrast to the Western theory dividing law into public and private. The author believes that the concept of subject matter and method of legal regulation proposed by Soviet scholars as a criterion for differentiation of branches of law is far-fetched and unsustainable. To resolve this issue, as noted in the article, scholars and legal practitioners should be guided by relevant theories developed by European authors and tested by law administration practice, such as the theory of subordination, the special legal theory and the two-stage theory. The author proves that it is impossible to include into the subject matter of administrative law social relations arising within intra-organizational activities of public enterprises; s well as those associated with the implementation of administrative justice and the judicial procedure of making individuals liable under administrative law. Elaborating on the formulated conclusions, the author emphasizes the need for a significant expansion of the subject matter of administrative law, which, in the author’s opinion, is comprised not only by respective social relations. Finally, the conclusion is made that the subject matter of modern administrative law is made up by: relations arising in the course of direct exercise of power by the Ukrainian people; relations arising between an individual and a subject of public administration when the latter acts with regard to an individual using one or a combination of legal administrative instruments; relations arising between a subject of public administration and another subject of public authority, with which the former is not in the relations of subordination; relations arising within the framework of intra-organizational activities of a public body; relations arising between a subject of public administration and “special subordinates”; relations associated with management of items of public property (public assets); relations relating to pecuniary liability of a public administration subject for the damage caused to an individual by a decision (action); regulation of factual actions; regulation of legal status of subjects of relations at administrative law.

List of legal documents

Legislation

1. Kodeks administratyvnoho sudochynstva Ukrainy [The Code of Administrative Judicial Procedure of Ukraine]: Zakon Ukrainy [the Law of Ukraine] vid 6 lypnia 2005 r. № 2747-IV. Vidomosti Verkhovnoi Rady Ukrainy 2005. № 35–37. St. 446 (in Ukrainian).

2. Konstytutsiia Ukrainy [Constitution of Ukraine]: Zakon Ukrainy [the Law of Ukraine] vid 28 chervnia 1996 r. № 254k/96-VR. Vidomosti Verkhovnoi Rady Ukrainy. 1996. № 30. St. 141 (in Ukrainian).

3. Pro Kabinet Ministriv Ukrainy [On the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine]: Zakon Ukrainy [the Law of Ukraine] vid 27 liutoho 2014 r. № 794-VII. Vidomosti Verkhovnoi Rady Ukrainy 2014. № 13. St. 22 (in Ukrainian).

4. Pro mistsevi derzhavni administratsii [On Local Public Administrations]: Zakon Ukrainy [the Law of Ukraine] vid 9 veresnia 1999 r. № 586-XIV. Vidomosti Verkhovnoi Rady Ukrainy 1999. № 20. St. 190 (in Ukrainian).

5. Pro Rehlament Verkhovnoi Rady Ukrainy [On the Rules of Procedure of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine]: Zakon Ukrainy [the Law of Ukraine] vid 10 liutoho 2010 r. № 1861-VI. Vidomosti Verkhovnoi Rady Ukrainy 2010. № 14, № 14–15, № 16–17. St. 133 (in Ukrainian).

6. Pro upravlinnia ob’iektamy derzhavnoi vlasnosti [On the Management of State Property]: Zakon Ukrainy [the Law of Ukraine] vid 21 veresnia 2006 r. № 185-V. Vidomosti Verkhovnoi Rady Ukrainy. 2006. № 46. St. 456 (in Ukrainian).

7. Rekomendatsiia R (84) 15 Komitetu Ministriv derzhavam-chlenam stosovno publichno-pravovoi vidpovidalnosti za prychynenu shkodu 28 liutoho 1984 r. [Recommendation R (84) 15 of the Committee of Ministers to Member States Relating to Public Liability for the Inflicted Damage February 28, 1984]: pryiniata Komitetom Ministriv 11 veresnia 1984 roku na 375-i naradi zastupnykiv ministriv [Adopted by the Committee of Ministers on September 11, 1984 at the 375th Meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies]. URL: http://zakon0.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/994_126 (accessed: 01.03.2018) (in Ukrainian).

Cases

8. Vyznachennia yurysdyktsii sporiv shchodo rozghliadu sprav pro oskarzhennia dii posadovykh osib vypravnoi kolonii, yaki rozkryvaiut ta perehliadaiut adresovanu zasudzhenomu korespondentsiiu [Determining the Jurisdiction of Disputes Relating to Consideration of Cases Appealing Against Actions of Penal Colony Officers Who Open and Review the Correspondence Addressed to a Prisoner]: uzahalnenyi naukovo-konsultatyvnyi vysnovok Naukovo-konsultatyvnoi rady pry Vyshchomu administratyvnomu sudi Ukrainy [Summarized Scientific Advisory Opinion of the Scientific Advisory Council at the Higher Administrative Court of Ukraine]. URL: http://www.vasu.gov.ua/nkr/pravovi_vusnovky/vipravni_kolonii/ (accessed: 28.02.2018) (in Ukrainian).

Bibliography

Authored books

 9. Detterbeck S, Allgemeines Verwaltungsrecht mit Verwaltungsprozessrecht (Verlag CH Beck 2006) (in German).

10. Elistratov A, Osnovnye nachala administrativnogo prava [Basic Principles of Administrative Law] (Izdanie G A Lemana 1914) (in Russian).

11. Evtihiev A, Osnovy sovetskogo administrativnogo prava [Foundations of Soviet Administrative Law] (Juridicheskoe izdatel’stvo NKJu USSR 1925) (in Russian).

12. Kivalov S, Administratyvne pravo Ukrainy: navchalnyi posibnyk [Administrative Law of Ukraine: Training Manual] (5-e vyd, Feniks 2011) (in Ukrainian).

13. Ostapenko O ta Kisil Z ta Kovaliv M, Administratyvne pravo Ukrainy: navchalnyi posibnyk [Administrative Law of Ukraine: Training Manual] (3-te vyd, Alerta 2011) (in Ukrainian).

14. Pakhomov I, Radianske administratyvne pravo: Zahalna chastyna: pidruchnyk [Soviet Administrative Law: General Section: Textbook] (Vydavnytstvo Lvivskoho universytetu 1962) (in Ukrainian).

 15. Petrov G, Sushhnost’ sovetskogo administrativnogo prava [The Essence of Soviet Administrative Law] (Izdatel’stvo Leningradskogo universiteta 1959) (in Russian).

Parts of the books

16. Kymbat Dikambaeva, ‘Pravovaja priroda administrativnogo akta i ego soderzhanie’ [‘Legal Nature of Administrative Act and Its Contents’] Ezhegodnik publichnogo prava 2016: Administrativnyj akt (Infotropik Media 2015) (in Russian).

17. Lars Broker, ‘Otmena administrativnyh aktov v sootvetstvii s nemeckim zakonodatel’stvom’ [‘Abolition of Administrative Acts under German Law’] Ezhegodnik publichnogo prava 2016: Administrativnyj akt (Infotropik Media 2015) (in Russian).

18. Kristine Kore-Perkone, ‘Priznaki administrativnogo akta: v ponimanii Administrativnoprocessual’nogo zakona Latvii i praktiki sudov’ [‘Signs of an Administrative Act: in the Understanding of Latvia’s Administrative Procedural Law and Court Practice’] Ezhegodnik publichnogo prava 2016: Administrativnyj akt (Infotropik Media 2015) (in Russian).

Edited and translated books

19. Aver’ianov V ta inshi, Administratyvne pravo Ukrainy: akademichnyi kurs: pidruchnyk [Administrative Law of Ukraine: Academic Course: Textbook], t 1: Zahalna chastyna [General Section] (Aver’ianov V red, Yurydychna dumka 2004) (in Ukrainian).

20. Bitjak Ju i drugie, Sovetskoe administrativnoe pravo: uchebnik [Soviet Administrative Law: Textbook] (Pavlovskij R red, Vishha shkola 1986) (in Russian).

21. Brjeban G, Francuzskoe administrativnoe pravo [French Administrative Law] (Bobotov S red, Vasil’ev D i Karpovich V per, Progress 1988) (in Russian).

22. Bytiak Yu ta inshi, Administratyvne pravo: pidruchnyk [Administrative Law: Textbook] (Bytiak Yu ta Harashchuk V ta Zui V red, Pravo 2010) (in Ukrainian).

23. Demkova M ta inshi, Vidshkoduvannia v pozasudovomu poriadku shkody, zavdanoi derzhavoiu abo orhanamy vlady [Extrajudicial Compensation of the Damage Caused by the State or Public Authorities] (Ukrainskyi D red, Konus-Iu 2007) (in Ukrainian).

24. Holosnichenko I ta Stakhurskyi M ta Zolotarova N, Administratyve pravo Ukrainy: osnovni poniattia: navchalnyi posibnyk [Administrative Law of Ukraine: Basic Concepts: Training Manual] (Holosnichenko I red, HAN 2005) (in Ukrainian).

25. Melnyk R ta Bevzenko V, Zahalne administratyvne pravo: navchalnyi posibnyk [Common Administrative Law: Training Manual] (Melnyk R red, Vaite 2014) (in Ukrainian).

26. Mel’nik R i drugie, 100 otvetov na 100 voprosov po Obshhemu administrativnomu pravu: uchebnoe posobie [100 Answers to 100 Questions on Common Administrative Law: Training Manual] (Mel’nik R red, Jurinkom Inter 2017) (in Russian).

Journal articles

 27. Karadsche-Iskrow N, ‘Das Verwaltungsrecht in der Sowjetunion (Russland) seit 1917’ (1936) 23 Jahrbuch des öffentlichen Rechts der Gegenwart 136 (in German).

28. Werner F, ‘Verwaltungsrecht als konkretisiertes Verfassungsrecht’ (1959) DVBI 527 (in German).

29. Arzhanov M, ‘O principah postroenija sistemy sovetskogo socialisticheskogo prava’ [‘On the Principles Underlying the System of Soviet Socialist Law’] (1939) 3 Sovetskoe gosudarstvo i pravo 26 (in Russian).

30. Aver’ianov V, ‘Nova doktryna ukrainskoho administratyvnoho prava: kontseptualni pozytsii’ [‘A New Doctrine of Ukrainian Administrative Law: Conceptual Positions’] (2006) 5 Pravo Ukrainy 11 (in Ukrainian).

31. Boiko I, ‘Do pytannia pro predmet administratyvnoho prava’ [‘On the Issue of the Subject Matter of Administrative Law’] (2016) 1 Administratyvne pravo i protses 5 (in Ukrainian).

32. Bolokan I, ‘Predmet administratyvnoho prava: pytannia transformatsii v doktrynalnykh pidkhodakh’ [‘Subject Matter of Administrative Law: Issues of Doctrinal Approaches Transformation’] [2016] 2(6) Naukovyi visnyk Khersonskoho derzhavnoho universytetu Yurydychni nauky 42 (in Ukrainian).

33. Halunko V, ‘Predmet suchasnoho administratyvnoho prava Ukrainy’ [‘Subject Matter of Modern Administrative Law of Ukraine’] (2010) 2 Forum prava 83 (in Ukrainian).

34. Hryshyna N, ‘Shchodo rozuminnia predmeta administratyvnoho prava’ [‘On the Understanding of the Subject Matter of Administrative Law’] (2015) 19 Visnyk Kharkivskoho natsionalnoho universytetu imeni V Karazina Pravo 75 (in Ukrainian).

35. Ihonin R, ‘Predmet administratyvnoho prava v umovakh transformatsii vitchyznianoi systemy prava’ [‘Subject Matter of Administrative Law in the Context of the National Law System Transformation’] [2015] (2) 2 Naukovyi visnyk Khersonskoho derzhavnoho universytetu Yurydychni nauky 126 (in Ukrainian).

36. Kolomoiets T, ‘Administratyvno-protsesualne pravo – samostiina haluz natsionalnoho prava (v aspekti poshuku novoi modeli predmeta administratyvnoho prava Ukrainy)’ [‘Administrative Procedural Law as an Independent Branch of National Law (from the Perspective of Searching for a New Model of the Subject Matter of Administrative Law in Ukraine)’] (2016) 1 Publichne pravo 27 (in Ukrainian).

37. Kolpakov V, ‘Administratyvno-pravovi vidnosyny: poniattia ta vydy’ [‘Relations at Administrative Law: Concepts and Types’] (2013) 1 Yurydychnyi naukovyi elektronnyi zhurnal 101 (in Ukrainian).

38. Kurinnyi Ye, ‘Ob’iekt ta predmet ukrainskoho administratyvnoho prava: zmistovna ta aksiolohichna sutnist katehorii’ [‘The Object and Subject Matter of the Ukrainian Administrative Law: Substantive and Axiological Essence of Categories’] (2016) 1 Publichne pravo 43 (in Ukrainian).

39. Liashuk R, ‘Poniattia predmeta administratyvnoho prava Ukrainy’ [‘The Concept of the Subject Matter of Administrative Law in Ukraine’] (2016) 4 Aktualni problemy vitchyznianoi yurysprudentsii 81 (in Ukrainian).

40. Melnyk R, ‘Iakym buty tsyklu administratyvno-pravovykh dystsyplin u yurydychnomu navchalnomu zakladi?’ [‘What Should the Cycle of Administrative Law Disciplines be at a Law School?’] (2004) 27 Visnyk Natsionalnoho universytetu vnutrishnikh sprav 309 (in Ukrainian).

41. – –, ‘Administrativno-processual’noe i administrativno-procedurnoe pravo kak novye uchebnye discipliny’ [‘Administrative Process and Administrative Procedure Law as New Academic Disciplines’] (2005) 3 Problemy pravovedenija 47 (in Russian).

42. – –, ‘Hromadianske suspilstvo, derzhava ta administratyvne pravo’ [‘Civil Society, the State and Administrative Law’] (2013) 8 Pravo Ukrainy 227 (in Ukrainian).

43. – –, ‘Kontseptsiia liudynotsentryzmu u suchasnii doktryni administratyvnoho prava’ [‘The Human-Centrism Concept in the Modern Administrative Law Doctrine’] (2015) 10 Pravo Ukrainy 157 (in Ukrainian).

44. Panova N, ‘Nekotorye voprosy vlijanija administrativnogo prava na razvitie otnoshenij gosudarstvennogo upravlenija v Ukraine’ [‘Some Issues of the Impacts of Administrative Law on the Development of Public Administration Relations in Ukraine’] [2011] 24(2) Uchenye zapiski Tavricheskogo nacional’nogo universiteta imeni V I Vernadskogo Juridicheskie nauki 144 (in Russian).

45. Pietkov S, ‘Predmet administratyvnoho prava – konstanta v protsesi transformatsii suspilno-politychnykh vidnosyn’ [‘Subject Matter of Administrative Law as a Constant in the Process of Socio-Political Relations Transformation’] (2016) 1 Publichne pravo 35 (in Ukrainian).

 46. Pogrebnjak S i Uvarova E, ‘Soprotivlenie ugneteniju Vosstanie Revoljucija (teoretikopravovoj analiz v svete doktriny prav cheloveka)’ [‘Resistance to Oppression Uprising Revolution (Theoretical and Legal Analysis from the Perspective of the Human Rights Doctrine)’] (2013) 2 Pravo і gromadjans’ke suspіl’stvo 4 (in Russian).

47. Stetsenko S, ‘Suchasnyi pohliad na predmet administratyvnoho prava’ [‘Modern View on the Subject Matter of Administrative Law’] (2016) 1 Publichne pravo 20 (in Ukrainian).

48. Ternushchak M, ‘Pro predmet administratyvnoho prava v konteksti upravlinskoi kontseptsii v administratyvistitsi’ [‘On the Subject Matter of Administrative Law in the Context of the Management Concept in Adminstrativistics’] [2017] 2(5) Pravo i suspilstvo 136 (in Ukrainian).

Dissertations

49. Hrytsenko Ivan, ‘Stanovlennia i rozvytok naukovykh pohliadiv na osnovni instytuty vitchyznianoho administratyvnoho prava’ [‘Establishment and Development of Scientific Views on the Main Institutions of National Administrative Law’] (dys d-ra yuryd nauk, Kharkivskyi natsionalnyi universytet vnutrishnikh sprav 2008) (in Ukrainian).