“Pravova derzhava”. Issue 36 (2025), pages 306–318.

DOI: 10.33663/0869-2491-2025-36-306-318

Batanov Oleksandr
Genetic Origins of Municipal Law in the Doctrine and Practice of Municipalism

The article analyses the controversial issues of formation of municipal law as a branch of national law of Ukraine in the context of development of municipalism. The author reveals the content of the concept of «municipal» from the point of view of Roman law. It is proved that the Roman era was in fact the era of the urban community.
It is argued that the formation of Roman municipalities as subjects of not only public but also private relations generally corresponds to the modern understanding of local self-government and municipal law as a conglomerate of public-private relations and norms. In this sense, municipal law influences the process of formation of many public law institutions in general, which is, in fact, comparable to the role of Roman private law in the formation of modern civil law.
The author examines the main factors which determine the formation of the principles, subject matter, method, functions and sources of municipal law. Firstly, society and the State have developed a stable system of social relations related to the organisation and functioning of municipal authorities, as well as the implementation and protection of municipal human rights. Secondly, there is a dynamic increase in the number of legal norms and institutions that regulate relations in the field of local selfgovernment. Thirdly, constitutional recognition and guarantee of local self-government based on the concept of status characteristics of the territorial community as the primary subject of municipal power. Fourthly, the factor of municipal interests, which are synergistically linked to ensuring the activities of territorial communities in addressing local issues, is important. Fifthly, the state recognises the independence of the objects of municipal legal regulation — issues of local importance. Sixth, the emergence of the problem of existence and functioning of municipal law as a branch of national law is largely determined by the dynamic development of not only legislation in general, the processes of reception of international democratic standards and foreign municipal models, but also by the challenges facing Ukrainian legal science and education.
From this perspective, the author shows the dialectical relationship between the processes of formation of municipalism in modern Ukraine and the state of implementation of the principles of local self-government and municipal law in terms of formation of legal personality of a territorial community. The author proves that the importance of studying theoretical issues of municipal law is determined by the needs of local self-government development in general, as well as the need to develop methodological approaches to the value understanding of modern municipalism.

Key words: municipal law, municipalism, municipal authorities, local selfgovernment, territorial community, municipal human rights, municipal traditions, rule of law, democracy

References

1. Batanov O. V. Teoriia munitsypalnoho prava: monohrafiia. Kyiv: Yurinkom Inter, 2024. S. 6–8.
2. Baimuratov M., Kofman B., Khvan R. Propilei munitsypalnoho prava demokratychnoi derzhavy ta yii munitsypalnoi pravovoi polityky: monohrafiia. Odesa: Feniks, 2024. 336 s.
3. Batanov O. V. Teoriia munitsypalnoho prava: monohrafiia. Kyiv: Yurinkom Inter, 2024. 412 s.
4. Haliakhmetov I. A. Munitsypalne pravo Ukrainy: metodolohiia stanovlennia ta rozvytku: monohrafiia. Kyiv: KNEU, 2016. 343 s.
5. Liubchenko P. M. Munitsypalne pravo: pidruchnyk. Kharkiv: Pravo, 2019. 512 c.
6. Baimuratov M. O. Rol rymskykh munitsypii v stanovlenni suchasnoho mistsevoho samovriaduvannia: porivnialno-istorychne doslidzhennia. Porivnialno-pravovi doslidzhennia. 2007. № 1/2. S. 189–198.
7. Davies J. The ‘Origins of the Greek Polis: Where should We be Looking? The Development of the Polis in Archaic Greece / Lynette G. Mitchell and P. J. Rhodes (ed.). London and New York: Routledge, 1997. P. 14.
8. Pagden A. Europe: Conceptualizing a Continent. The Idea of Europe. From Antiquity to the European Union / ed. by Anthony Pagden. Cambridge et al.: Woodrow Wilson Center Press; Cambridge University Press, 2002. P. 40.
9. Ortolan J. The History of Roman Law: From the text of Ortolans Histoire de la Legislation Romaine et Generalisation du droit (Edition of 1870). London: Butterworths, 1871. P. 572–573.
10. Petrechko O. Suspilno-politychnyi rozvytok Rymskoi Imperii v I — na poch. III st. n. e.: vid «vidnovlenoi» Respubliky do senatskoi monarkhii: monohrafiia. Lviv: Vydavnychyi tsentr LNU imeni Ivana Franka, 2009. S. 7.
11. Batanov O. V. Aksiosfera munitsypalizmu yak fundament rozvytku suchasnoho munitsypalnoho prava. Pravo Ukrainy. 2014. № 5. S. 97–105.
12. Bookchin M. Social Ecology and Communalism. Oakland: AK Press, 2007. 136 p.
13. Nauka administratsii y administratyvnoho prava. Zahalna chastyna (za vykladamy profesora Yuriia Paneika) / ukladachi: V. M. Bevzenko, I. B. Koliushko, O. R. Radyshevska, I. S. Hrytsenko, P. B. Stetsiuk. Kyiv: VD «Dakor», 2016. S. 215.
14. Tsytsyk O. I. Hromada v transformatsiinykh umovakh ukrainskoho suspilstva: filosofsko-pravova refleksiia: dys. … d-ra filosof. za spets. 081. Lviv, 2021. S. 21–22.
15. Tokvil Aleksis de. Pro demokratiiu v Amerytsi / per. z frants. Kyiv: Vsesvit, 1999. S. 67.
16. Sosunovskyi S. V. Terytorialna hromada: cotsialno-filocofckyi analiz: dyc. … kand. filocof. nauk: cpets. 09.00.03. Zaporizhzhia, 2021. S. 18–19.
17. Aloshyna N. M. Terytorialna hromada yak subiekt prava: avtoref. dys. … kand. yuryd. nauk: spets. 12.00.01. Kharkiv, 2014. S. 1.
18. Tokvil Aleksis de. Pro demokratiiu v Amerytsi / per. z frants. Kyiv: Vsesvit, 1999. S. 69–70.
19. Barker R. Community. The Social Work Dictionary [3d ed.; ed. By Barker R]. Washington: NASW Press, 1996. P. 68.
20. Franko I. Shcho take hromada i chym vona povynna buty? Franko I. Zibrannia tvoriv: u 50 t.: T. 44. Kn. 2: Ekonomichni pratsi (1888–1907) / Uporiad. ta koment. A. L. Perkovskoho, N. O. Tymochko, Ye. A. Shabliia, P. V. Yurchenka; Red. T. I. Dereviankin. Kyiv: Nauk. dumka, 1985. S. 175.
21. Semyhina T. V., Lykhovyd D. O. «Hromada» chy «spilnota»? (interpretatsii fenomenu hromady suchasnymy naukovtsiamy). Nova paradyhma. 2014. Vyp. 123. S. 191.
22. Hrynchyshyn I. M. Biudzhetni mekhanizmy zabezpechennia dobrobutu terytorialnykh hromad v umovakh sotsialno-ekonomichnoi dyferentsiatsii: dys. … d-ra ekonom. nauk: spets. 08.00.05; 08.00.08. Lviv, 2021. S. 382.
23. Aloshyna N. M. Terytorialna hromada yak subiekt prava: avtoref. dys. … kand. yuryd. nauk: spets. 12.00.01. Kharkiv, 2014. S. 7.