“Pravova derzhava”. Issue 37 (2026), pages 773–783.

DOI: 10.33663/0869-2491-2026-37-773-783

Golub Yana
Legality in the system of principlesof criminal law of Ukraine Introduction

ISSN online: 2617-9776 print: 0869-2491

Introduction. Ukraine has been in a full-scale war for five years, so at this time every crime committed causes significant public resonance, which requires a legal and fair consideration of the case and bringing the guilty party to justice. Even a doubt on the part of an outside observer about the illegality of a court decision has extremely negative consequences and leads to a loss of public trust in the justice system and the state as a whole. Solving issues of criminal liability with disregard for legality indicates the state's failure to comply with its obligations to ensure the rights and freedoms of man and citizen in Ukraine. 

The aim of the article: clarifying the place of legality in the system of criminal law principles.

Results and conclusions. The systemic structure of the principles of criminal law of Ukraine determines the imperative interaction of the principle of legality with other fundamental principles of criminal law, primarily the rule of law and justice. The rule of law is the key goal of the criminal justice system of Ukraine, and legality is one of the principles that contribute to its implementation. However, legality does not lose its importance and uniqueness in the system of principles. The scientific position, which is also reflected in the Law of Ukraine “On Law-Making Activity”, that the principle of legality is a component element of the principle of the rule of law has been criticized. Since in some exceptional cases the rule of law and legality may contradict each other, this confirms their independence and autonomy. A structural element cannot contradict the system in which it is included. If we recognize the principle of legality as a component element of the rule of law, this will mean the identification of the concepts of law and law, which is unacceptable. Giving the principle of legality the status of an independent one, one should determine its structural elements and features of interaction with other independent principles of criminal law. Legality as an independent principle of criminal law is directly enshrined in the Criminal Code and formally defines the boundaries of criminal repression for a committed offense. Since the principles form a system, legality is effective only in interaction with other principles, in particular, the rule of law and justice.

Keywords: Constitution of Ukraine, principles of law, criminal law, legality, justice, rule of law, system, natural law, criminal responsibility, access to justice, criminal repression, legal certainty, human rights, criminal offense, analogy of law.

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Дата першого надходження рукопису до видання: 02.02.2026
Дата прийнятого до друку рукопису після рецензування: 03.03.2026
Дата публікації: 24.03.2026