The needs-based research approach allows us to identify the relationships between legal regulation and human needs and interests, since it is a unique tool for revealing the essence of any social phenomena, including legal ones. The purpose of the article is an analysis of the notion, legal mechanism for satisfying legal needs, as well as their main classifications in the need-oriented human rights concept of prof. P. Rabinovych in the context of European human rights standards. Such needs have been defined by scientist as people’s needs for high-quality positive legal regulation, as well as for legal assistance. P. Rabinovych is the founder of the need-based research approach in theoretical jurisprudence. He created a definition of the notion of legal needs and established that their specificity lies in the necessity of the existence and use by a person of certain state and legal phenomena as means that can satisfy his biological and social needs and interests. The classifications proposed by the scientist reveal the features of various types of legal needs that should be taken into account when constructing legal instruments for satisfying legal needs and using such instruments. This is the undoubted heuristic value and viability of the concept of legal needs developed by the head of the Lviv School of Human Rights Theory. The allocation of such a specific type of human needs as the need for legal (in particular, in the international and national) order is important for understanding the social essence of European human rights standards, which are key elements of the European legal order and objects of legal needs.

Authored books

1. Doyal L, Gough I, A Theory of Human Need (Palgrave Mcmillan 1991).

2. Galtung J, Human Rights in Another Key (Oxford 2004).

3. Griffin J, On Human Rights (1st ed, Oxford University Press 2008).

4. Kant I, Der Streit der Fakultäten der Streit der Fakultäten (8. Von der Schwierigkeit der auf das Fortschreiten zum Weltbesten angelegten Maximen in Ansehung ihrer Publicität) (accessed 31.05.2025)

5. Miller D, National Responsibility and Global Justice (Oxford University Press 2007).

6. Krestovska N, Matvieieva L, Teoriia derzhavy i prava: Pidruchnyk. Praktykum. Testy (Yurinkom Inter 2015) (in Ukrainian).

7. Rabinovych P, Nakonechna A, Liudski potreby, interesy ta pravove rehuliuvannia (zahalnoteoretychne doslidzhennia) (Medytsyna i pravo 2022) (in Ukrainian).

8. Rabinovych P, Osnovy zahalnoi teorii prava ta derzhavy (10-e vyd., dop., Krai 2008) (in Ukrainian).

9. Savchyn M, Porivnialne konstytutsiine pravo (Yurinkom Inter 2019) (in Ukrainian).

Edited and translated books

10. Renzo M, ‘Human Needs, Human Rights’, In R Cruft; S Matthew Liao, M Renzo (eds), Philosophical Foundations of Human Rights (1st Ed, Oxford University Press 2015).

11. Hehel H V F, Fenomenolohiia dukhu (Petro Tarashchuk (per), Yurii Kushakov (red), Osnovy 2004) (in Ukrainian).

Encyclopaedias

12. Kolodii A, ‘Zakonnist’, Velyka ukrainska yurydychna entsyklopediia: u 20 t. T. 3: Zahalna teoriia prava (Pravo 2017) (in Ukrainian).

13. Maksymov S, ‘Pravovyi pozytyvizm’, Velyka ukrainska yurydychna entsyklopediia: u 20 t. T. 2: Filosofiia prava (Pravo 2017) (in Ukrainian).

14. Rabinovych S, ‘Pryrodne pravo i pozytyvne pravo’, Velyka ukrainska yurydychna entsyklopediia: u 20 t. T. 2: Filosofiia prava (Pravo 2017) (in Ukrainian).

15. Shevchuk S, ‘Pryntsyp pravovoi vyznachenosti’, Velyka ukrainska yurydychnaentsyklopediia: u 20 t. T. 3: Zahalna teoriia prava (Pravo 2017) (in Ukrainian). Journal articles 16. Hapla М, ‘Theory of needs as justification of human rights: current approaches and problems of uncertainty and normativeness’ [2018] The Age of Human Rights Journal 18–19.

17. Miller D, ‘Grounding Human Rights’ [2012] 15(4) Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy 410–411.

18. Lemak V, Badyda A, ‘Tlumachennia prava: problemy vyznachennia poniattia, skladu, praktychnoi potreby’ [2019] 4(36) Publichne pravo 138–139.

19. Rabinovych P, ‘Potrebovyi pidkhid – bezalternatyvnyi instrument vyiavlennia sotsialnoi sutnosti prava i derzhavy’ [2009] Naukovi pratsi Odeskoi natsionalnoi yurydychnoi akademii 45–53 (in Ukrainian).

20. Rabinovych P, Nakonechna A, ‘Potrebovyi pidkhid u doslidzhenni pravovykh yavyshch: vitchyznianyi ta inozemnyi dosvidy’ [2022] 74 Visnyk Lvivskoho universytetu. Seriia yurydychna 23–30 (in Ukrainian).

21. Rabinovych P, ‘Universalna teoriia prava yak zahalna kontseptualna osnova teorii natsionalnoho i mizhnarodnoho prava (do problemy formuvannia)’ [2017] 3 Publichne parvo 20 (in Ukrainian).