Slovo of the National School of Judges of Ukraine. №1(54) 2026. P.126-137

ISSN: 2707-6849        

UDC343.01:342.565

DOI https://doi.org/10.37566/2707-6849-2026-1(54)-12 

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Mariia KRASII,

Associate Professor of the Department of Public Administration, Administration and National Security Ivano-Frankivsk National Technical University of Oil and Gas, Сandidate of Law, Associate Professor

ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8752-7371

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The Constitutional Court of Ukraine and foreign criminal-legal policy: from isolationism to integration (on the example of key decisions)

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of the role of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine as a subject of the state's foreign criminal-legal policy. Foreign criminal-legal policy is considered as a system of strategic actions aimed at harmonizing national legislation with international standards, effectively countering transnational crime and strengthening Ukraine's positions in the global legal space.

The author analyzes the evolution of the approaches of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine to the correlation of constitutional guarantees of human rights and international obligations of Ukraine in the field of criminal law. Although the Constitutional Court of Ukraine is not formally a subject of policy formation (unlike the legislative and executive branches), through the exercise of constitutional control it performs the function of an institutional «filter»: it determines the limits of permissible criminalization, adjusts the directions of implementation of international treaties and balances public interest with human rights.

Particular attention is paid to the divergent and individual opinions of judges, primarily S. Holovaty, who propose a doctrinally balanced integrative approach: interpretation of the norms of the Constitution in the light of the principle of pacta sunt servanda, Art. 9 of the Constitution of Ukraine and international practice, which allows combining the protection of fundamental rights with the effective implementation of anti-corruption and human rights obligations.

The conclusions of the article indicate a gradual shift of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine from isolationism to integration, which reflects the adaptation of constitutional justice to the European vector of Ukraine. At the same time, the inconsistency of practice emphasizes the need for consistent consideration of international standards as a component of the national legal order.

Keywords:Constitutional Court of Ukraine, foreign criminal law policy, constitutional isolationism, legal integration, international criminal law standards, European integration, decision, subject.

References

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SuggestedCitation: Krasiy, M. (2026) The Constitutional Court of Ukraine and foreign criminal-legal policy: from isolationism to integration (on the example of key decisions). Slovo National School of Judges of Ukraine, 1 (54), 126–137. https://doi.org/10.37566/2707-6849-2026-1(54)-12

Date of first submission of the article to the publication: 31.03.2026

Date of acceptance of the article for publication after review: 13.04.2026

Date of publication (publication): 22.04.2026