International Round Table "Constitution of Ukraine in Defence of Democracy, Human Rights, Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity in the Conditions of Russian Aggression"

June 19, 2023

On June 15, 2023, an International Round Table "Constitution of Ukraine in Defence of Democracy, Human Rights, Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity in the Conditions of Russian Aggression" was jointly held by Razumkov Centre and the Constitutional Law Department of the Faculty of Law of Taras Shevchenko Kyiv National University.

The Round Table was attended by known Ukrainian and foreign constitutional scholars from Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa, Kharkiv, Vilnius (Lithuania) and Rzeszów (Poland), as well as state and public figures, practitioners of state authorities and local self-government bodies, the Prosecutor General of Ukraine Office, judges of the Supreme Court. A people's deputy of Ukraine of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd convocations, Deputy Chairman of the Constitutional Commission (1990–1992), first Prosecutor General of Ukraine, retired judge of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine Viktor Shyshkin attended the Round Table as an honorary participant. The event was moderated by the head of the Constitutional Law Department of Taras Shevchenko Kyiv National University, prof. Olha Lotiuk and Razumkov Centre Research Fellow on Legal Issues, retired Judge of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine, Doctor of Law Petro Stetsiuk.

The rector of Taras Shevchenko Kyiv National University Prof. Volodymyr Bugrov welcomed those present, noting the importance of such events in wartime, attended by foreign participants, partner universities and representatives of leading national think-tanks. The rector's welcoming words were echoed by the Director of the Educational and Scientific Institute of Law of Taras Shevchenko Kyiv National University Prof. Oksana Vasylchenko, who also welcomed the participants and noted that the doors of the Institute of Law are always open for discussions in order to find answers to current issues, including implementation of the Constitution of Ukraine during the war. Welcoming the participants of the event, the Razumkov Centre President, Ph.D. Yury Yakymenko emphasized the social importance of a scientific dialogue in wartime about human rights, democracy, national security and economic development of the state that heroically resists Russian aggression and at the same time continues its movement towards full membership in the European Union. He also noted that the problems of the development of modern Ukrainian constitutionalism have always been in the focus of research and analytical activities of Razumkov Centre.

The Round Table participants listened to the reports "Implementation of constitutional values in Ukraine in the conditions of Russian aggression" (Prof. Oleg Martseliak, Taras Shevchenko Kyiv National University), "What can the Constitutional Court do to protect independence and democracy?" (prof. Dainius Žalimas, dean of the Faculty of Law of Vytautas Magnus University in Kaunas, member of the European Commission "For Democracy through Law" (Venice Commission) from Lithuania, Chairman of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Lithuania (2014–2021)), "Problems of implementation of the Constitution of Ukraine in the conditions of Russian aggression (defence and security aspects)" (Ph.D. (Law) Petro Stetsiuk, Razumkov Centre research fellow on legal issues, retired judge of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine), "Constitutional guarantees of foundations of the legal system and imposition of a state of emergency" (Prof. Krzysztof Eckhardt of the Higher School of Law and Administration in Rzeszów, Poland), "Constitutional changes and Ukraine’s European prospects, challenges and trends" (Prof. Yevhenia Cherniak, Taras Shevchenko Kyiv National University) and "Problems of organization and conduct of elections after the war" (Andriy Magera, Deputy Chairman of the Central Election Commission in 2007–2019, a member of Razumkov Centre).

During the general discussion, the participants of the event discussed the specifics of implementation of the Constitution of Ukraine in the conditions of Russian aggression, protection of the rights of servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and fighters of territorial defence battalions, refugees and forced migrants. Considerable interest among the Round Table participants was caused by the speech during the general discussion by one of the authors of the Constitution of Ukraine V. Shyshkin. The People's Deputy of Ukraine of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd convocations, Deputy Chairman of the Constitutional Commission (1990–1992) not only shared his memories of drafting the Basic Law but noted the main problems of its preservation and implementation in the conditions of Russian military aggression.

The event was held in a mixed mode. Students and post-graduate students of the Faculty of Law of Taras Shevchenko Kyiv National University and other Ukrainian universities had an opportunity to participate in its work.


https://razumkov.org.ua/novyny/mizhnarodnyi-kruglyi-stil-konstytutsiia-ukrainy-na-zakhysti-demokratii-prav-liudyny-suverenitetu-i-terytorialnoi-tsilisnosti-v-umovakh-rosiiskoi-agresii