“Pravova derzhava”. Issue 37 (2026), pages 528–537.

DOI: 10.33663/0869-2491-2026-37-528-537

Armash Nadiya
Civil liability in the system of private-law means of regulating social relations: the state of legislation and directions for improvement

ISSN online: 2617-9776 print: 0869-2491

The article provides a comprehensive doctrinal analysis of civil liability as a core private-law instrument for regulating social relations in the context of the recodification of the Civil Code of Ukraine and the broader processes of European legal integration. Civil liability is examined not merely as a sanctioning mechanism, but as a systemic stabiliser of private autonomy, contractual equilibrium, and economic circulation. The study substantiates the thesis that modern civil liability is undergoing a paradigmatic transformation: from an imperative, punitive construct inherited from public-law logic towards a dispositive, compensatory and risk-oriented model inherent in private law.

Special attention is devoted to the conceptual demarcation between civil and administrative liability. The article emphasises the horizontal nature of civil liability, the presumption of fault of the tortfeasor, and the restorative orientation of civil remedies, which collectively distinguish civil liability from public enforcement mechanisms. This distinction is critically important for safeguarding the weaker party in private relations and for preserving the autonomy of will as a foundational principle of civil law.

The paper explores the internal tension between the compensatory and preventive functions of civil liability, particularly through the prism of the doctrine of «eficient breach» of contract. It is argued that existing Ukrainian legal mechanisms do not always ensure an optimal balance between full compensation of losses and deterrence of opportunistic non-performance. In this regard, the article critically assesses the current model of liability for monetary obligations under Article 625 of the Civil Code of Ukraine, which has acquired features of quasi-liability due to its objective and automatic nature, often failing to reflect real economic losses or incentives.

A separate analytical block is devoted to non-pecuniary (moral) damage. The absence of clear statutory methodologies for its assessment is identified as a systemic problem undermining legal certainty and consistency of judicial practice. The author argues for the development of structured approaches to the monetisation of non-pecuniary harm, drawing on European human-rights jurisprudence and comparative private-law experience.

Within the framework of Europeanisation of Ukrainian civil law, the article substantiates the necessity of incorporating key institutions reflected in the Draft Common Frame of Reference (DCFR). In particular, it argues for the formal recognition of pre-contractual liability (culpa in contrahendo) aimed at compensating the negative contractual interest, the transition from a rigid force-majeure model to the more flexible doctrine of hardship, and the reception of the “loss of a chance” doctrine as an instrument for addressing complex causation scenarios.

The final part of the article addresses the challenges posed by digitalisation, artificial intelligence, and smart contracts. The concept of granting artificial intelligence independent legal personality is critically rejected. Instead, the author advocates for a model of strict liability of operators or developers, analogous to liability for sources of increased danger and supported by mandatory insurance mechanisms. Smart contracts are analysed as technological tools that must remain subordinate to fundamental principles of justice, reasonableness, and validity of legal transactions.

The article concludes that the future development of civil liability lies in a shift from fault-centred models to sophisticated systems of risk allocation capable of responding to technological uncertainty while preserving the axiological foundations of private law.

Keywords: civil-law liability; recodification of the Civil Code of Ukraine; damages; non-pecuniary (moral) damage; pre-contractual liability; loss of a chance; DCFR; artificial intelligence; smart contract; strict liability.

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Дата першого надходження рукопису до видання: 28.01.2026
Дата прийнятого до друку рукопису після рецензування: 03.03.2026
Дата публікації: 24.03.2026