Implementation of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and its role in strengthening of democratic principles, and implementation of people’s power in Ukraine was proved by the events of 2004, 2013–2014, namely the Orange Revolution and the Revolution of Dignity which stemmed from the exercise by Ukrainians of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly guaranteed by the Constitution of Ukraine. Along with attesting to the role of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly in determining the democratic course of the State’s and civil society’s development, these events have also demonstrated the shortcomings of constitutional provisions, primarily those related to restrictions on the exercise of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and the political will of power elites in applying legal liability measures to those who exercise this right. Therefore, it is the effectualness of such a provision aimed at direct regulation of social relations pertaining to the exercise of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly that is important for an individual, rather than formal consolidation of the right in the constitutional provision. Differing formulas, which exist in the provisions of positive law and term the right to freedom of peaceful assembly, entail a lack of clarity and comprehensibility of the provisions which regulate social relations pertaining to the exercise of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly, and this has a negative effect on social relations proper, as well as on the situation with democracy in general.

The purpose of the article is to analyze the right to freedom of peaceful assembly as a constitutional right, as well as the semantic consistency of the language units used for its designation with the content of this right.

The article outlines the specifics of institutionalization of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly in the Constitution of Ukraine, examines the specifics of legal regulationof social relations pertaining to the exercise of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly through directly applicable constitutional provisions, and also the systematicity of understanding of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and regulation of its exercise via provisions from the realm of constitutional legislation of Ukraine.

The constitutional provision contained in part 1, article 39 of the Constitution of Ukraine needs changes which should relate to: the lexical and semantic formula which terms the right under study, namely, it should be set forth as “the right to freedom of peaceful assembly”; the subject exercising the right to freedom of peaceful assembly should not be restricted solely to those subjects exercising this right who are legally connected to Ukraine (citizenship), but rather belong to all individuals, without exception, who are legally located in Ukraine; this route of development of the right to assemble peacefully should evolve into the right to peaceful assembly, which is much broader and ramified in its essence, and the latter in its epistemology should reach a lexical-semantic and legal formula precisely as the right to freedom of peaceful assembly, which is recognized by the world community and will reflect the essential properties of this right.

Bibliography

Authored books

1. Savchyn M, Konstytutsiine pravo Ukrainy [Constitutional Law of Ukraine: Textbook] (Pravova yednist 2009) (in Ukrainian).

2. Sambor M, Pravo na myrni zibrannia [The Right to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly] (Prylutska miska drukarnia 2018) (in Ukrainian).

Edited books

3. Afanasieva M ta Yezerov A (zah red), Konstytutsiine pravo Ukrainy: prahmatychnyi kurs [Constitutional Law of Ukraine: a Pragmatic Course] (Iurydychna literatura 2017) (in Ukrainian).

4. Bajnijazova Z, ‘Konstitucionnye cennosti kak orientiry dlja razvitija rossijskoj pravovoj sistemy’ [‘Constitutional Values as Guidelines for the Development of the Russian Legal System’] v Konstitucija Rossijskoj Federacii – pravovaja osnova razvitija sovremennoj rossijskoj gosudarstvennosti [The Constitution of the Russian Federation – Legal Basis for the Development of Modern Russian Statehood] (2014) (in Russian).

5. Boniak V (red), Zabezpechennia prav liudyny u pravookhoronnii diialnosti: navch. posib [Ensuring Human Rights in Law Application Activities: Teaching Guide] (Lira LTD 2017) (in Ukrainian).

6. Jebzeev B, ‘Konstitucija, gosudarstvo i lichnost’ v Rossii: filosofija rossijskogokonstitucionalizma’ [‘The Constitution, the State and the Individual in Russia: Philosophy of Russian Constitutionalism’] v Konstitucija Rossijskoj Federacii – pravovaja osnova razvitija sovremennoj rossijskoj gosudarstvennosti [The Constitution of the Russian Federation – Legal Basis for the Development of Modern Russian Statehood] (2014) (in Russian).

7. Kolisnyk V ta Barabash Yu (red), Konstytutsiine pravo Ukrainy: pidruchnyk [Constitutional Law of Ukraine: Textbook] (Pravo 2008) (in Ukrainian).

8. Tatsii V (holova redkol), Konstytutsiia Ukrainy. Naukovo-praktychnyi komentar [The Constitution of Ukraine. Scientific and Practical Commentary] (Pravo 2011) (in Ukrainian).

Journal articles

 9. Adashys L ta Drobko O, ‘Konstytutsiine pravo hromadian na myrni zibrannia: suchasnii stan pravovoho rehuliuvannia v Ukraini’ [‘Constitutional Right of Citizens to Peaceful Assembly: Today’s Situation with Legal Regulation in Ukraine’] (2017) 6 Yurydychnii naukovii elektronnii zhurnal 54–7 <http://lsej.org.ua/6_2017/14.pdf> (accessed: 16.10.2019) (in Ukrainian).

10. Klymenko O, ‘Poniattia konstytutsiinoho prava hromadian na myrni zibrannia’ [‘Concept of the Constitutional Right of Citizens to Peaceful Assembly’] (2012) 6 Biuleten Ministerstva yustytsii Ukrainy 134–41 (in Ukrainian).

11. Mukhamedova E, ‘Pravo na myrni zibrannia yak osobyste nemainove pravo fizychnykh osib u tsyvilnomu pravi’ [‘Right to Peaceful Assembly as Personal Non-Property Right of Individuals in Civil Law’] (2009) 11 Pidpriemnytstvo, hospodarstvo i pravo 51–5 (in Ukrainian).

12. Osipian B, ‘Pravo kak proiavlenie sovershennogo zakona svobody i otvetstvennosti’ [‘Right as a Manifestation of Perfect Law of Freedom and Responsibility’] [2012] 3 (15) Voprosy pravovedeniya 65–80 (in Russian).

13. Sambor M, ‘Konstytutsiini formy zdiisnennia prava na myrni zibrannia: zbory, mitynhy, pokhody, demonstratsii’ [‘Constitutional Forms of Exercising the Right to Peaceful Assembly: Assemblies, Rallies, Marches, Demonstrations’] (2019) 8 Pravo Ukrainy 255–67 (in Ukrainian).

14. Sambor M, ‘Pravo na svobodu myrnykh zibran v Ukraini: evoliutsiia konstytutsiinykh norm protiahom stolittia’ [‘The Right to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly in Ukraine: Evolution of Constitutional Provisions over the Course of a Century’] (2019) 1 (85) Visnyk Luhanskoho derzhavnoho universytetu vnutrishnikh sprav imeni E. O. Didorenka 62–74 (in Ukrainian).

15. Zahorodnyuk A, ‘Pravo na myrni zibrannia v systemi konstytutsiinykh prav i svobod lyudyny i hromadianyna’ [‘Right to Peaceful Assembly in the System of Constitutional Rights and Freedoms of an Individual and a Citizen’] (2018) 1–2 Pravnychii chasopys Donetskoho universytetu 11–6 (in Ukrainian).

Theses

16. Glukhareva L, ‘Prava cheloveka v sisteme teorii prava i gosudarstva: obshcheteoreticheskie, filosofsko-pravovye i metodologicheskie problemy’ [‘Human Rights in the System of Theory of Law and State: General Theoretical, Philosophical, Legal and Methodological Issues’] (avtoref dys d-ra yurid nauk, 2004) (in Russian).

17. Kolosov I, ‘Konstitutsionnoe pravo grazhdan na provedenie sobranii, mitingov i demonstratsii, shestvii i piketirovaniia i yego realizatsiia v subiektakh Rossiskoi Federatsii, nakhodiashchikhsia v predelakh yuzhnogo federalnogo okruga’ [‘Constitutional Right of Citizens to Hold Assemblies, Rallies and Demonstrations, Marches and Picketing and its Implementation in the Russian Federation’s Entities Located within the Southern Federal District’] (avtoref dys. kand yurid nauk 2005) (in Russian).

18. Nevirko D, ‘Prava i svobody cheloveka i grazhdanina: problemy sootnosheniia i vzaimodeystviia v ierarkhii’ [‘Human and Civil Rights and Freedoms: Issues of Correlation and Interaction in the Hierarchy’] (avtoref dys kand yuryd nauk 2004) (in Russian).

19. Onyshchenko S, ‘Administratyvno-pravove zabezpechennia prava na myrni zibrannia’ [‘Administrative-Law Support of the Right to Peaceful Assembly’] (dys kand yuryd nauk, 2019) (in Ukrainian).

20. Sereda M, ‘Pravo na myrni zibrannia: teoretychni, praktychni ta porivnialno-pravovi aspekty’ [‘Right to Peaceful Assembly: Theoretical, Practical and Comparative Law Aspects’] (dys kand yuryd nauk, 2019) (in Ukrainian).

21. Tronko O, ‘Administratyvno-pravovi zasady realizatsii prava hromadian na myrni zibrannia’ [‘Administrative-Law Basis for the Exercise by Citizens of the Right to Peaceful Assembly’] (dys kand yuryd nauk, 2016) (in Ukrainian).

22. Zavorotchenko T, ‘Konstytutsiino-pravovi harantii prav i svobod liudyny i hromadianyna v Ukraini’ [‘Constitutional-Law Guarantees of Human and Civil Rights and Freedoms in Ukraine’] (avtoref dys kand yuryd nauk, 2002) (in Ukrainian).

Websites

 23. McClain T, ‘Examining the Forgotten Constitutional Right’ (Washington University in St. Louis, 01.04.2012) <https://source.wustl.edu/2012/04/examining-the-forgottenconstitutionalright> (accessed: 28.04.2020) (in English).