Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Legislative Basics of Legal Interpretation

  • Published:
International Journal for the Semiotics of Law - Revue internationale de Sémiotique juridique Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The main purpose of legal interpretation is to create conditions for the effective functioning of law and its components by clarifying their true content, which eliminates any doubts and ambiguities. The purpose of this article is: first, to analyze the provisions of current Ukrainian legislation for identifying the general approaches embodied in it and the principles for the implementation of legal interpretation activities by state power bodies; secondly: presentation on the basis of modern achievements and developments of legal science of the system of measures for standardization of such activity, bringing it in line with the needs of law enforcement practice. The solution of the set tasks was carried out using the method of philosophical dialectics, a system of general scientific and special scientific methods of cognition, which are based on the principles of objectivity, comprehensiveness, complexity. Based on the analysis of the normative material, it is concluded that there is no single harmonized approach in the Ukrainian legislation on the procedure for providing clarifications of the content of normative-legal acts. The authors give arguments on the need to clarify and streamline the legal interpretation activity by state bodies and propose a number of measures to achieve this goal. Based on the conducted analysis of the normative material, the authors outline the main problematic issues of the legislative definition of the basics of legal interpretation and provide specific proposals for improving the current legislation in this area.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Data Availability

Data will be available on request.

References

  1. Shevchenko, A.Yе., and S. V. Kudin. 2021. Variety of theoretical approaches to legal interpretation. Anthropology of Law 12: 109–114. https://doi.org/10.33663/2524-017X-2021-12-17.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Druzhynina-Sendetska, T. V. 2015. Interpretation in laws: Features of hermeneutical approach. Kharkiv: Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Zaloilo, M. V. 2010. Specification and interpretation of legal rules: Problems of correlation and interaction. Russian Law Journal 5: 105–112.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. 1996. Constitution of Ukraine. https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/254%D0%BA/96-%D0%B2%D1%80#Text. Accessed 26 January 2022.

  5. Kosovych, V. M. 2013. Legal regulation of interpretation of legal acts of Ukraine as a prerequisite for their improvement. Our Law 11: 5–13.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Nalyvaiko, O. I., and O. M. Senkiv. 2015. Theoretical and practical issues of interpretation of the Constitution of Ukraine and the laws of Ukraine by the Constitutional Court of Ukraine. Young Scientist 2 (17): 813–816.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Bohdanevych, T. S. 2019. Official interpretation of the Basic Law by the Constitutional Court of Ukraine. Kyiv: National Academy of Internal Affairs of Ukraine.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. 2017. Law of Ukraine On the Constitutional Court of Ukraine. No. 2136-VIII. https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/2136-19#Text. Accessed 26 January 2022.

  9. Bilodid, I. K. 1977. Dictionary of the Ukrainian language in 11 volumes: Volume 8. In Dictionary of the Ukrainian language in 11 volumes, O. V. Vynnyk, ed. et al., 927. Kyiv: Naukova Dumka.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Nykolyna, K. V. 2021. Legal procedure of official interpretation of legal texts. Anthology of Law 12: 200–204. https://doi.org/10.33663/2524-017X-2021-12-34.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. 2010. Tax Code of Ukraine. https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/2755-17#Text. Accessed 30 January 2022.

  12. Getman, A. P., and V. V. Karasiuk. 2014. A crowdsourcing approach to building a legal ontology from text. Artificial Intelligence and Law 22 (3): 313–335.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Shevchenko, A., V. Antoshkina, O. Lekhkar, and O. Kapichon. 2021. Acts of legal norms interpretations: approaches to understanding and legislative basis. Journal of Law and Political Science 29 (4): 260–284.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. 2014. Law of Ukraine On prevention of corruption. No. 1700-VII. https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/1700-18#Text. Accessed 21 January 2022.

  15. Official web-site of National Agency on Corruption Prevention. 2021. Clarifications and registers. https://nazk.gov.ua/en/clarifications-and-registers/. Accessed 23 January 2022.

  16. Tsurkan, M., Yu. Zaltsberh, A. Sheshenia, P. Romaniuk, and B. Mokhonchuk. 2021. Review of judicial practice in cases of administrative and criminal liability for violation of rules for financing political parties and election campaigns: A textbook for judges. Kyiv: Drukarskyi dvir Oleha Fedorova.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Inshyn, M., and O. Moskalenko. 2018. Ensuring freedom of labor in Ukraine in the context of labor emigration. Baltic Journal of Law and Politics 11 (2): 1–31. https://doi.org/10.2478/bjlp-2018-0009.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. 1996. Law of Ukraine On appeals of citizens. No. 393/96-ВР. https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/393/96-%D0%B2%D1%80#Text. Accessed 21 January 2022.

  19. Marcou, G. 2015. Law and law-making in France. Journal of Foreign Legislation and Comparative Law 4: 555–560.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Bobrovnyk, S. V. 2021. Judicial interpretation: Features and practical significance. Anthology of Law 12: 50–57. https://doi.org/10.33663/2524-017X-2021-12-8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Pisulińska, J. 2021. Linguistics in legal communication: language, communication, text, law. Journal of International Legal Communication 2: 110–117. https://doi.org/10.32612/uw.27201643.2021.2.pp.110-117.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. 2016. Law of Ukraine On the judiciary and status of judges. No. 1402-VIII. https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/1402-19#Text. Accessed 13 February 2022.

  23. Didyk, N. I., and I. V. Besaha. 2018. Legal conclusions of the Supreme Court on the application of the norms of administrative law. Scientific Bulletin of Lviv State University of Internal Affairs 2: 152–163.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Reznik, O., O. Getmanets, A. Kovalchuk, V. Nastyuk, and N. Andriichenko. 2020. Financial security of the state. Journal of Security and Sustainability Issues 9 (3): 843–852.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Khrystova, H. O. 2004. The legal nature of the acts of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine. Kharkiv: Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Antoshkina, V. K. 2020. Legal interpretation: Theoretical and practical aspects. A monograph. Vinnytsia: TOV “Tvory”.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Luspenyk, D. 2020. To set priorities. Judicial Bulletin 11(175). https://supreme.court.gov.ua/supreme/pres-centr/zmi/1033174.

  28. Vystavna, Y., M. Cherkashyna, and M. R. van der Valk. 2018. Water laws of Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine: Current problems and integration with EU legislation. Water International 43 (3): 424–435.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. 2005. The Code of Administrative Procedure of Ukraine. https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/2747-15#Text. Accessed 9 January 2022.

  30. Supreme Court of Ukraine. 2021. Resolution of the Joint Chamber of the Commercial Court of Cassation of 18.06.2020. No. 927/491/19. https://reyestr.court.gov.ua/Review/97911848. Accessed 17 January 2022.

  31. Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. 2006. Law of Ukraine On execution of judgments and the application of the practice of the European Court of Human Rights. No 3477-IV. https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/3477-15#Text. Accessed 9 January 2022.

  32. Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. 2013. Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine. https://rm.coe.int/16802f6016. Accessed 4 February 2022.

  33. Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. 2021. Draft Law on Law-Making Activity. No. 5707. http://w1.c1.rada.gov.ua/pls/zweb2/webproc4_1?pf3511=72355. Accessed 15 February 2022.

  34. Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. 2003. Civil Code of Ukraine. https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/435-15#Text. Accessed 16 January 2022.

  35. Shevchenko, A., Yе., and V. K. Antoshkina. 2021. The scientific-legal doctrine and its influence on the law interpretation processes. Anthropology of Law 12: 99–109. https://doi.org/10.33663/2524-017X-2021-12-16.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Nalyvaiko, L. R., I. O. Hrytsai, O. I. Nalyvaiko, T. S. Hanzytska, O. S. Chepik-Trehubenko, V. V. Bairachna, and Ye.V. Kasianenko. 2016. Theory and Practice of Law Enforcement. Interpretation of the Constitution of Ukraine. Dnipro: Lira LTD.

    Google Scholar 

  37. Kostiuk, N. P. 2007. Law enforcement activity of the internal affairs bodies. Bulletin of the Kharkiv National University of Internal Affairs 36: 20–25.

    Google Scholar 

  38. Matvieieva, L. H. 2001. Law enforcement acts and acts of interpretation of law. Bulletin of the Odesa Institute of Internal Affairs 1: 15–20.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

The authors did not receive support from any organization for the submitted work.

No funding was received to assist with the preparation of this manuscript.

No funding was received for conducting this study.

No funds, grants, or other support was received.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Legal Sciences, Berdyansk University of Management and Business, 71100, 117A Svoboda Str, Berdyansk, Ukraine

    Valeriya K. Antoshkina

  2. Department of Theory, History of Law and State and Constitutional Law, University of the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine, 31 Universytetska Str, 08200, Irpin, Ukraine

    Oleksandr Loshchykhin

  3. Law School, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, 60 Volodymyrska Str, 01033, Kyiv, Ukraine

    Oksana Topchii

  4. National Police in Kyiv, 04071, 8, Heorhii Honhadze, Kyiv, Ukraine

    Dmytro Shevchenko

  5. Department of Public Law Disciplines, “KROK” University, 03113, 30-32 Tabirna Str, Kyiv, Ukraine

    Myroslav V. Hryhorchuk

Authors
  1. Valeriya K. Antoshkina
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Oleksandr Loshchykhin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Oksana Topchii
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Dmytro Shevchenko
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Myroslav V. Hryhorchuk
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

Authors’ contributions are equal.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Valeriya K. Antoshkina.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare they have no financial and competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Antoshkina, V.K., Loshchykhin, O., Topchii, O. et al. Legislative Basics of Legal Interpretation. Int J Semiot Law 35, 1655–1669 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11196-022-09916-3

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11196-022-09916-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation