CONSTITUTION

The Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament) adopted the Constitution of Ukraine in force June 28, 1996

According to this country’s Basic Law, Ukraine is a sovereign, independent, democratic, and social state with a rule of law. Although such features as ‘sovereign’ and ‘independent’ are, in fact, closely similar, in this case the European constitutional tradition and principal thesis of fighters for Ukrainian statehood are concurrent. By the ‘democratic’ feature the principle of the government by the people is emphasized being defined concretely by Article 5 stating that “the people are the bearers of sovereignty and the only source of power in Ukraine” exercising it “directly and through bodies of state power and bodies of local self-government.’ By the attribute ‘social the responsibility of the State to provide for the social protection of the population is stipulated, while the ‘rule of law’ implies that in Ukraine legality is to reign as the general measure of freedom, equality and justice.

Principle is the definition of the form of government by Article 6: “State power in Ukraine is exercised on the principles of its division into legislative, executive and judicial power.” The Constitution defines by Article 75 the Verkhovna Rada as the sole organ of legislative power in Ukraine, with the highest executive body being the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine (Article 113). The Constitutional Court of Ukraine and courts of general jurisdiction exercise judicial proceedings in Ukraine (Articles 124 and 125). Article 102 defines the status of the President of Ukraine: “The President of Ukraine is the Head of State and acts in its name.”

The Constitution of Ukraine currently in force was assessed on the whole positively by the most authoritative in the sphere of constitutional legislation “Democracy through the Law” Commission of the Council of Europe”, more known as “the Venetian Commission”.

Date: 2015-01-29; view: 852