The article is devoted to outlining the issues of implementing the constituent power of the Ukrainian people under martial law and at the post-war stage of state development. It is stated that the long-term functioning of public power in extraordinary conditions revealed structural gaps in constitutional regulation, primarily regarding the continuity of the exercise of state power, the terms of office of elected bodies, the replacement of the head of state and the limits of discretion of public authorities. This led to a discrepancy between the legal and de facto constitution, when the real model of the organization of power is formed under the influence of security factors and is only partially reflected in the text of the Fundamental Law. Based on the provisions of Article 5 of the Constitution of Ukraine and modern scientific approaches to the concept of constituent power, the Ukrainian practice of constitutional transformations is analyzed, including the decision of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine in 2010, constitutional changes after 2014 and the institutional consequences of martial law. It is emphasized that in crisis conditions, the institutionalization of constituent power occurs mainly through political and legal decisions, and not through direct popular expression of will. The experience of post-war constitutional transformations in Germany, Japan, Iraq and Croatia is illustrated and the possibilities of its use in Ukraine are determined. The feasibility of combining the restoration of electoral legitimacy of government bodies through post-war elections with the initiation of constitutional modernization is shown. The concept of implementing constituent power through the creation of a special representative body of the constituent power of the people (the All-Ukrainian Constituent Assembly) with the subsequent approval of the results of its activities at an all-Ukrainian referendum is supported. The feasibility of a phased constitutional process is determined: primary systemic changes to the current Constitution, regulatory regulation of emergency legal regimes and only after stabilization – the adoption of a new Constitution. It is concluded that it is the consistency of electoral legitimation, constitutional modernization and citizen participation that will ensure the real, rather than declarative, implementation of the constituent power of the Ukrainian people.

Authored books

1. Maksakova R, Konstytutsiino-pravovi problemy orhanizatsii ta realizatsii ustanovchoi vlady v Ukraini (Klasychnyi pryvatnyi universytet 2012) (in Ukrainian). Edited books

2. Yushchyk O, ‘Bez lehitymnoi konstytutsii ne mozhe buty lehitymnoi vlady’, Formula demokratii: “Narod – Konstytutsiia – vlada”. 20-richchiu Konstytutsii Ukrainy prysviachuietsia (O Moroz, O Yushchyk, (uporiad.) Parlam. Vyd-vo 2016) 204–212 (in Ukrainian). Journal articles

3. Berchenko H, Slinko T, Horai O, ‘Unamendable Provisions of the Constitution and the Territorial Integrity of Ukraine’ [2022] 4-2(17) Special Issue Access to Justice in Eastern Europe 113–127 https://doi.org/10.33327/AJEE-18-5.4-n000447.

4. Irkha Yu, ‘Konsolidatsiia ukrainskoho suspilstva yak kliuchovyi faktor zmitsnennia natsionalnoi derzhavnosti ta natsionalnoi bezpeky Ukrainy: konstytutsiino-pravovyi vymir’ [2025] 4(1) Pravo i suspilstvo 36–45 https://doi.org/10.32842/2078-3736/2025.4.1.6 (in Ukrainian).

5. Kononenko N, ‘Lehitymnist vlady: chynnyky determinatsii u povoiennii Ukraini’ [2023] 1(5) Politychni doslidzhennia / Political Studies 68–86 http://doi.org/10.53317/2786-4774- 2023-1-4 (in Ukrainian).

6. Kovalchuk V, ‘Konstytutsionalizm v umovakh viiny: pytannia tsinnostei, prav ta identychnosti’ [2023] 7 Pravo Ukrainy 115–127 https://doi.org/10.33498/louu-2023-07-115 (in Ukrainian).

7. Kovalchuk V, ‘Ustanovcha vlada ta konstytutsiina reforma v Ukraini’ [2016] 850(11) Visnyk Natsionalnoho universytetu “Lvivska politekhnika”. Seriia: “Iurydychni nauky” 346 (in Ukrainian).

8. Maksakova R, ‘Obmezhennia vyborchykh prav hromadian v umovakh voiennoho stanu: do pytannia pro konstytutsiinist chy neobkhidnist sudovoho zakhystu’ [2025] 1 Pravo.ua 275–283 https://doi.org/10.71404/LAW.UA.2025.1.41 (in Ukrainian).

9. Monastyrskyi M, ‘Pershi povoienni vybory v Ukraini: perevahy mashyn samoobsluhovuvannia’ [2025] 2 Analitychno-porivnialne pravoznavstvo 184–193 https://doi.org/10.24144/2788- 6018.2025.02.25 (in Ukrainian).

10. Skrypniuk O, Martseliak O, ‘Suchasni problemy vyborchoho protsesu v Ukraini: koreliatsiia z mizhnarodnymy standartamy ta vyklyky povoiennoho chasu’ [2025] 4(1) Analitychno- porivnialne pravoznavstvo 249–258 https://doi.org/10.24144/2788-6018.2025.04.1.41 (in Ukrainian).

11. Vodiannikov O, ‘Konstytutsionalizm v ekstremalnykh umovakh: ustanovcha i vstanovlena vlada v kryzovi periody’ [2021] 4 Ukrainskyi chasopys konstytutsiinoho prava 8–37 https:// doi.org/10.30970/jcl.4.2021.2 (in Ukrainian). Theses

12. Berchenko H, ‘Konstytutsiia yak akt ustanovchoi vlady’ (avtoref dys d-ra yuryd nauk, 2024) (in Ukrainian).

13. Bondarenko O, ‘Konstytutsiina modernizatsiia: ontolohichne rozuminnia, aksiolohichna znachushchist, komparatyvna tsinnist’ (dys kand yuryd nauk, 2019) (in Ukrainian). Conference papers

14. Afanasieva M, ‘Povoienni vybory v Ukraini: kliuchovi pytannia ta maibutni vyklyky’, Transformatsiia pravovykh system v umovakh zbroinykh konfliktiv: mater. kruhloho stolu (m. Odesa, 10 liutoho, 2023 r.) (NU “OIuA” 2023) 71–77 (in Ukrainian).

15. Kaminska N, ‘Aktualni problemy realizatsii mizhnarodnykh standartiv zakhystu vyborchykh prav u pisliavoiennyi period: instytutsiinyi aspekt’, Problemy i perspektyvy postvoiennoi rozbudovy Ukrainy: materialy mizhnar. nauk.-prakt. konf., m. Kyiv, 7-8 hrudnia 2023 r. (M Trofymenko (red) Mariup. derzh. un-t 2023) 147–149 (in Ukrainian).

16. Maksakova R, ‘Pidstavy prypynennia povnovazhen Prezydenta Ukrainy: notatky do konstytutsiinykh zmin’, Tyzhden nauky-2024. Yurydychnyi fakultet. Tezy dopovidei naukovo- praktychnoi konferentsii, Zaporizhzhia, 15–19 kvitnia 2024 r. (V Shalomieiev (vidpov. red.), NU “Zaporizka politekhnika” 2024) 26–28 (accessed 27.08.2026) (in Ukrainian).

17. Moroziuk Yu, ‘Vyborchi reformy v Ukraini pislia viiny’, III International Scientific and Theoretical Conference “Modern tools and methods of scientific investigations”. June 7, 2024; Antwerp, Belgium (Collection of Scientific Papers “SCIENTIA” 2024) 137–138 (accessed 27.08.2026) (in Ukrainian).

18. Prykhodko S, ‘Orhanizatsiia ta provedennia pershykh povoiennykh vyboriv v Ukraini: polityko-pravovi ta bezpekovi dylemy’, Suchasni vyklyky sotsialno-politychnoho rozvytku: polityko-pravovi ta sotsialno-ekonomichni vymiry: materialy V Vseukrainskoi naukovo- praktychnoi konferentsii studentiv ta molodykh vchenykh (m. Odesa, 22 travnia 2025 r.) (S  Naumkina, S Dmytrashko, I Pronoza (red), DZ “Pivdennoukrainskyi natsionalnyi pedahohichnyi universytet imeni K. D. Ushynskoho” 2025) 52–55 (in Ukrainian).