Article title Emotional Component of a Court Judgment
Authors

Candidate of Juridical Sciences, lecturer at the Department of Economic Law and Procedure Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (Kyiv, Ukraine) ochernenko79@gmail.com

 

Name of magazine Legal journal «Law of Ukraine» (Ukrainian version)
Issue 7/2020
Сторінки [120-130]
Annotation

In the exercise of justice, judges must assert the independence and selfconsistency of courts guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of Ukraine, enhance the authority of the judiciary, ensure that court judgments are binding via a fair, impartial and timely trial and resolution of court cases, and observe the judge’s oath. Society sets high standards for a judge and expects ideal conduct from him/her. The position of a judge requires not only an impeccable knowledge of laws and other legal regulation, but also compliance with ethical standards, self-possession, tolerance, responsibility, fairness, perseverance, and commitment to principles. The level of professional legal awareness of judges is determinative not only for the quality of their work, but also the general impression which society gets about justice in the State.

The article aims at analyzing the influence of inner psychological factors on how a judge passes a judgment in a case.

In the author’s view, professional activity of a judge is always associated with nervous and emotional stress and, consequently, involves excessive nervous and mental load which may trigger emotional burnout of judges. Professional burnout entails the depletion of emotional, physical and personal resources of a person. The consequences of a judge’s professional burnout are an impaired authority of the judiciary, illegitimate judgments, behavior contrary to the Code of judicial ethics, and etc. A judge who demonstrates signs of professional burnout cannot properly conduct legal proceedings and needs psychological assistance.

The article notes that only highly professional, moral, and ethical behavior of a judge can build respect for the court and ensure confidence of participants to a case in the impartial results of the trial. A judge is constantly tested for professional skills, human wisdom and successful resolution of conflict situations. Court judgments should affirm justice and strengthen public confidence in the judiciary. Conscience, honesty, honor, dignity, and professionalism are the major moral guidelines in the administration of justice. Therefore, despite various factors affecting a judge in the proceedings, he or she should be capable of controlling own emotions and remain impartial when delivering judgments.

 

Keywords judge; inner conviction; emotions; court judgment
References

Bibliography

Authored books

1. Shaman J M and Lubet S andAlfini J J, Judicial Conduct and Ethics (3rd ed, The Michie Company 2000) (in English).

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Edited books

4. Koni A, ‘Nravstvennye nachala v ugolovnom processe (Obshhie cherty sudebnoj jetiki)’ [‘Moral Fundamentals in Criminal Procedure (General Features of Judicial Ethics)’] v Koni A, Izbrannye trudy i rechi [Selected Works and Speeches] (Avtograf 2006) (in Russian).

 

Encyclopedias

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Journal articles

6. Jerome Frank, ‘What Courts Do in Fact’ [1932] 26 (55) Illinois Law Review 761–4 (in English).

7. Bieliaieva S, ‘Profesiine vyhorannia: shliakhy zapobihannia’ [‘Professional Burnout: Ways of Preventing It”] [2014] 3 (8) Slovo Natsionalnoi shkoly suddiv Ukrainy 121–46 (in Ukrainian).

8. Chernovskyi O, ‘Vplyv vnutrishno-psykholohichnykh chynnykiv na pryiniattia suddeiu rishen po kryminalnii spravi’ [“Influence of Inner Psychological Factors on the Judge’s Decision-Making in a Criminal Case’] (2013) 11 Yevropeiski perspektyvy 150–3 (in Ukrainian).

9. Chernovskyi O ta Skuliak I, ‘Vnutrishnie perekonannia suddi’ [‘Judge’s Inner Conviction’] (2011) 15 Naukovyi chasopys NPU imeni M. P. Drahomanova. Seriia 18: Ekonomika i pravo 116–21 (in Ukrainian).

10. Horodovenko V, ‘Nezalezhnist suddiv i moralni zasady suddivskoi profesii’ [‘Independence of Judges and Moral Foundations of the Judicial Profession’] [2002] 4 (32) Visnyk Verkhovnoho Sudu Ukrainy 42–4 (in Ukrainian).

11. Koval A, ‘Chynnyky emotsiinoho vyhorannia osobystosti suddi, yaki nehatyvno vidbyvaiutsia na yakosti pravosuddia’ [‘Factors of Emotional Burnout of the Judge’s Personality Which Negatively Affect the Quality of Justice’] (2016) 2 Pravo i Bezpeka 124–9 (in Ukrainian).

12. Kuznietsova N, ‘Do pytannia pro pidvyshchennia profesiinoi pidhotovky suddivskykh kadriv’ [‘On the Issue of Improving the Professional Training of Judges’] (2010) 5 Pravo Ukrainy 25–9 (in Ukrainian).

13. Luspenyk D, ‘Vnutrishnie perekonannia suddi yak element otsinky dokaziv’ [‘Judge’s Inner Conviction as an Element of Evidence Evaluation’] (2006) 43 Yurydychnyi visnyk Ukrainy 8–9 (in Ukrainian).

14. Mindus P, ‘Hniv rozumu i blahodat pochuttiv: obgruntovuiuchy emotsii u pravi’ [‘Anger of the Mind and Grace of the Senses: Justifying Emotions in Law’] (2015) 1–2 Filosofiia prava i zahalna teoriia prava 72–101 (in Ukrainian).

15. Panchuk I, ‘Zahalni rysy profesiinoi pravosvidomosti suddiv’ [‘Common Features of Professional Legal Awareness of Judges’] [2013] 1 (7) Chasopys Natsionalnoho universytetu “Ostrozka akademiia”. Seriia “Pravo” <https://lj.oa.edu.ua/articles/2013/ n1/13piopps.pdf> (accessed 05.05.2020) (in Ukrainian).

 

Theses

16. Berezhko E, ‘Nravstvennye nachala (osnovy) pri rassmotrenii ugolovnogo dela sudom pervoj instancii’ [‘Moral Fundamentals (Basics) in Criminal Proceedings in a Trial Court’] (dis kand jurid nauk, 2003) (in Russian).

17. Jacishina O, ‘Vnutrennee ubezhdenie kak osnovanie svobody ocenki dokazatel’stv’ [‘Inner Conviction as the Basis for Freedom of Evidence Evaluation’] (avtoref dis kand jurid nauk, 2004) (in Russian).

 

Conference papers

18. Materialy Kanadsko-ukrainskoho proektu spivpratsi z reformy ukrainskoho sudochynstva [Materials of the Canadian-Ukrainian Cooperation Project on Ukrainian Judicial Reform] (Prohrama Ottava–Toronto–Vinnipeh–Edmonton, 13 liutoho – 22 bereznia 1997 r.) (in Ukrainian). 19. Moskvych L, ‘Nezalezhnist suddiv: sotsialnyi ta pravovyi aspekt’ [Independence of Judges: Social and Legal Aspect’] v Etychni ta pravovi problemy zabezpechennia nezalezhnosti suddiv: materialy mizhnar. nauk.-prakt. seminaru [Ethical and Legal Issues of Ensuring the Independence of Judges: Materials of International Scientific and practical Seminar] (Stashys V holov red, Hopak 2006) 145–6 (in Ukrainian).

 

Newspaper articles

20. Dzvonyk H ta Savchenko T, ‘Emotsiinyi komponent v strukturi profesiinoi diialnosti’ [‘Emotional Component in the Structure of Professional Activity’] <http://www.rusnauka. com/15_APSN_2010/Psihologia/67373.doc.htm> (accessed: 05.06.2020) (in Ukrai nian).

21. Ivanyshchuk A, ‘V chomu prychyny profesiinoho vyhorannia suddiv i yak z nym mozhna borotysia’ [‘What Are the Reasons of Professional Burnout of Judges and How to Deal With It’] <https://zib.com.ua/ua/121001-v_chomu_prichini_profesiynogo_ vigorannya_suddiv_i_yak_z_nim_.html> (accessed: 14.06.2020) (in Ukrainian).

 

 

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