Constitution of Ukraine
| Constitution of Ukraine | |
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| Ratified | June 28, 1996 |
| Signatories | Verkhovna Rada deputes |
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 Ukraine portal |
The Constitution of Ukraine (Ukrainian: Конституція України) is the nation's fundamental law. The constitution was adopted and ratified at the 5th session of the Verkhovna Rada (parliament) of Ukraine on 28 June 1996. The constitution was passed with 315 ayes out of 450 votes possible (300 ayes minimum).
Other laws and other normative legal acts of Ukraine must conform to the constitution. The right to amend the constitution through a special legislative procedure is vested exclusively with the parliament. The only body that may interpret the constitution and determine whether legislation conforms to it is the Constitutional Court of Ukraine.
History
Until June 8, 1995, Ukraine's supreme law was the Constitution (Fundamental Law) of the Ukrainian SSR (adopted in 1978, with numerous later amendments). On June 8, 1995, President Leonid Kuchma and Speaker Oleksandr Moroz (acting on behalf of the parliament) signed the Constitutional Agreement for the period until a new constitution could be drafted.
The first constitution since independence was adopted during an overnight parliamentary session of June 27-June 28, 1996, un-officially known as "the constitutional night of 1996." The Law No. 254/96-BP ratifying the constitution, nullifying previous constitutions and the Agreement was ceremonially signed and promulgated in mid-July 1996. However, according to a ruling of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine, the constitution took force at the moment when the results of the parliamentary vote were announced on June 28, 1996 at approx. 9 a.m. Kiev local time.
Structure
The Constitution of Ukraine is divided into 15 chapters:
- General Principles
- Human and Citizens' Rights, Freedoms and Duties
- Elections. Referendums
- Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine
- President of Ukraine
- Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. Other Bodies of Executive Power
- Prokuratura
- Justice
- Territorial Structure of Ukraine
- Autonomous Republic of Crimea
- Local Self-Government
- Constitutional Court of Ukraine
- Introducing Amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine
- Final Provisions
- Transitional Provisions
Amendments
In accordance with Chapter XIII: Ukraine's Constitution can only be amended with the consent of no less than two-thirds of the constitutional composition of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.[1]
In addition amendments to Chapter I — "General Principles," Chapter III — "Elections. Referendum," and Chapter XIII — "Introducing Amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine," can only be amended by the parliament of Ukraine on the condition that it is also approved by an All-Ukrainian referendum designated by the President of Ukraine.
In May 2012 President Viktor Yanukovych set up the Constitutional Assembly of Ukraine; a special auxiliary agency under the President for drawing up bills of amendments to the Constitution, the president then will table them in parliament.[2]
2004 - 2010 amendments
On December 8, 2004, the parliament passed Law No. 2222-IV amending the constitution.[3] The law was approved with a 90 percent majority (402 ayes, 21 nays, and 19 abstentions; 300 ayes required for passage) simultaneously with other legislative measures aimed at resolving the 2004 presidential election crisis. It was signed almost immediately in the parliamentary chamber by the outgoing President Leonid Kuchma and promulgated on the same day.
The 2004 constitutional amendments were passed in the Parliament only with limited consultation and discussion between political forces, in the context of the Orange Revolution. They attracted therefore criticism from several internal (Ukrainian political parties) and external bodies (the Council of Europe, the European Parliament and the Venice Commission).[4]
The amendments took force unconditionally on January 1, 2006. The remaining amendments took force on May 25, 2006, when the new parliament assembled after the 2006 elections.
On October 1, 2010, the Constitutional Court of Ukraine overturned the 2004 amendments, considering them unconstitutional.[5][6] The Court had started to consider the case on the political reform in 2004 under a motion from 252 coalition lawmakers regarding the constitutionality of this reform of July 14, 2010.[7][8][9] The 2010 nullification decision was highly controversial. the Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner received several reports alleging that the resignation of four judges in the run-up to the decision occurred as result of extensive pressure by the executive. [10]
On November 18, 2010 The Venice Commission published its report titled "The opinion of the Constitutional situation in Ukraine", in review of the judgement of Ukraine's Constitutional Court, in which it highlighted "It (The Venice Commission) also considers highly unusual that far-reaching constitutional amendments, including the change of the political system of the country - from a parliamentary system to a parliamentary presidential one - are declared unconstitutional by a decision of the Constitutional Court after a period of 6 years. ... As Constitutional Courts are bound by the Constitution and do not stand above it, such decisions raise important questions of democratic legitimacy and the rule of law" [11]
See also
- Previous Constitutions
- Constitution of Pylyp Orlyk, a 1710 constitutional document written by Hetman Pylyp Orlyk.
- Constitution of the Ukrainian People's Republic
- Constitutions of the Ukrainian SSR
- Constitution of 1919
- Amendments of 1925
- Constitution of 1929
- Constitution of 1937
- Constitution of 1978
- Constitution of 1919
- Constitution of Crimea
- Others
- Constitutional economics
- Constitutionalism
- Rule according to higher law
- Mini Constitution of Ukraine
References
- ^ BYT not to vote for prolonging term of parliament, president, Kyiv Post (January 31, 2011)
- ^ Klitschko:UDAR won't join work of Constitutional Assembly, Kyiv Post (7 December 2012)
- ^ Laws of Ukraine. Verkhovna Rada decree No. 2222-IV: About the amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine. Adopted on 2004-12-08. (Ukrainian)
- ^ EUObserver, 16 October 2010
- ^ Summary to the Decision of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine No. 20-rp/2010 dated September 30, 2010 http://www.ccu.gov.ua/doccatalog/document?id=122826
- ^ Update: Return to 1996 Constitution strengthens president, raises legal questions, Kyiv Post (October 1, 2010)
- ^ Constitutional Court to issue ruling on 2004 political reform on Friday, Kyiv Post (September 30, 2010)
- ^ Political analysts: Cancelation of 2004 political reform may deepen split in Ukraine, Kyiv Post (August 25, 2010)
- ^ Ukraine court to rule on wider presidential powers, Kyiv Post (September 30, 2010)
- ^ Freedom House Report on the State of Democracy and Human Rights in Ukraine, April, 2011 - Source Freedom house http://www.freedomhouse.org/sites/default/files/inline_images/98.pdf
- ^ OPINION ON THE CONSTITUTIONAL SITUATION IN UKRAINE dated December 20, 2010 - Source Venice Commission http://www.venice.coe.int/docs/2010/CDL-AD%282010%29044-e.pdf
External links
- Official text of Constitution — site of the parliament Template:Uk icon
- English translation of Constitution of 1996
- Amendments (Law No. 2222-IV) — site of the parliament Template:Uk icon
- Constitution of 1978 (with amendments) — site of the parliament Template:Uk icon
- Constitution of 1978 (original) — site of the parliament Template:Uk icon
- Constitutional Agreement of 1995 — site of the parliament Template:Uk icon
- Declaration on the State Sovereignty of July 16, 1990 — site of the parliament Template:Uk icon
- Independence Act of August 24, 1991 — site of the parliament Template:Uk icon
- Constitutional process in Ukraine (including historical legal documents and the chronicles of adoption of the Constitution of 1996) — site of the parliament Template:Uk icon
- Venice Commission - Ukraine Council of EuropeTemplate:Uk icon
- Note: The English publication of Ukraine's constitution on the Official Rada and President's web sites are outdated. For a copy of the current version (dated 25 May 2006) see the collection of documents on the Venice Commission's web site copy also available on Wikisource.