Ruling by Ukraine's Constitutional Court
Ukraine's Constitutional Court has decided against initiating proceedings on several constitutional complaints, a move that will leave a number of existing legislative acts unchanged. While the Grand Chamber of the court continues to review other constitutional submissions, it has determined it will not hear a series of cases challenging the constitutionality of specific legal provisions.
Submissions to the Court
Among the petitions filed, 53 Ukrainian Members of Parliament submitted a constitutional petition concerning the Law of Ukraine 'On Amendments to the Rules of Procedure of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Regarding Countering Abuses of Rights by Members of Parliament of Ukraine in the Legislative Process'. Separately, the Supreme Court is contesting the constitutionality of several provisions, including:
- Clause 11, Part 1, Article 34 of the Law of Ukraine 'On Enforcement Proceedings' dated June 2, 2016, No. 1404–VIII;
- Clauses 5-1 and 5-2 of Section III of the Law of Ukraine 'On Specifics of Establishing a Public Railway Transport Joint-Stock Company' dated February 23, 2012, No. 4442–VI.
In addition, a constitutional complaint by Olena Yevhenivna Paskhina pertains to specific provisions of the Code of Ukraine on Bankruptcy Proceedings dated October 18, 2018, No. 2597–VIII.
The deadline for deciding whether to open or refuse to open constitutional proceedings in these matters has been extended to February 24, 2026. The rulings to refuse to open proceedings were made by the Second Panel of Judges of the First Senate, meaning the specified legislative acts will remain in force, at least for the time being. This court is the final arbiter on whether Ukrainian laws align with the nation's constitution.
The Ukrainian Constitutional Court's refusal to initiate proceedings on these complaints indicates that the current legislative norms remain valid, which could impact the legislative activity of the Verkhovna Rada and the application of law in Ukraine.
Given the nature of the submitted complaints, it is possible that some legislative norms may be subject to further analysis and debate regarding their conformity with the Constitution. However, for now, these legal questions remain unresolved and the laws stand unchanged.