01/10/2025
As part of the joint project of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine and the OSCE Support Programme for Ukraine, Acting Chair of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine Oleksandr Petryshyn, together with Judges Yurii Barabash, Oleksandr Vodiannikov, Viktor Gorodovenko, Oksana Hryshchuk, Vasyl Lemak, Viktor Kychun, and Serhii Riznyk, took part in the Summer School of Constitutional Law on the topic: “Constitutional Democracy in the Conditions of Martial Law and Post-War Recovery: the Vision of the Constitutional Court”.
This year, the event took place on 23–28 September and brought together national experts in constitutional and European law, legal theory and philosophy, practicing lawyers, representatives of state authorities, international organizations, the ECtHR, and students of Ukrainian higher education institutions specializing in various fields of law.
For students, an intensive program was offered, aimed at developing skills in understanding, analyzing, and interpreting constitutional provisions, including knowledge of international legal instruments that form the basis for the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms. The School primarily focuses on deepening the professional training of lawyers in the field of constitutional law.
During the School, Judges of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine acted as lecturers. Their presentations, along with those of other prominent national experts, academics, and researchers in constitutional law, became the subject of in-depth discussion and debate.
Acting Chair of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine Oleksandr Petryshyn delivered a lecture on “Constitutional Justice in the Conditions of Martial Law: Prospects for European Integration”, focusing on the work of the constitutional control body under martial law and emphasizing its close connection with the state’s European integration priorities.
Judge Viktor Gorodovenko elaborated on the Court’s application of the methodology of interpretation developed by the Court of Justice of the European Union.
Judge Viktor Kychun presented a lecture entitled “Three Pillars of Constitutionalism in Post-War Ukraine: Genuine Democracy, Human Rights, Rule of Law.”
Judge Serhii Riznyk addressed the admissibility of constitutional complaints and the challenges of access to constitutional justice.
Judge Vasyl Lemak focused on the topic “How Constitutional Democracy Survives During War: Ukraine and the Experience of Democratic States”.
In her presentation, Judge Oksana Hryshchuk elaborated on “The Rule of Law Principle in the Legal Positions of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine”.
Judge Oleksandr Vodiannikov concentrated on constitutional review of international treaties.
Overall, the work of the School focused on a range of important issues, including the relationship between international and national law in times of transformation; the components of the rule of law principle as criteria for Ukraine’s accession to the EU; the concept of wartime constitutional democracy and its perspectives for post-war recovery; constitutional identity and its significance; the principles of democratic legitimacy of post-war elections; and the development of ECtHR case law on the right to free elections.
Among the participants of the School were students from: Lesya Ukrainka Volyn National University, Burchak Institute of Private Law and Entrepreneurship, Kyiv Institute of the National Guard of Ukraine, Kyiv School of Economics, Kyiv University of Intellectual Property and Law, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, National University of “Kyiv-Mohyla Academy”, National Academy of Internal Affairs, Chernihiv Polytechnic National University, Odesa State University of Internal Affairs, Podilia National University, Uzhhorod National University, Petro Mohyla Black Sea National University, and Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University.
