During the international conference “Constitution in the conditions of war and postwar reconstruction: contemporary challenges and legal solutions”, dedicated to the 29th anniversary of the Constitution of Ukraine, a solemn awarding ceremony was held for the winners of the competition for the best scientific article dedicated to the protection of human and civil rights and freedoms. This competition was announced by the Constitutional Court of Ukraine in October last year – on the day of the Court's establishment.
The Acting Chairman of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine, Oleksandr Petryshyn, emphasised that traditionally every year the Court attracts students, postgraduates, and all those who seek to realize their scientific potential to participate in the competition for the best scientific article.
The winners of this year's competition are:
- Hanna Adamchuk, lecturer at the Department of Forensic Medicine and Medical Law of the M. Pyrogov Vinnytsia National Medical University, Master of Law, Psychology, Management of National Universities (article “Protection of Digital Rights in Ukraine: the Role and Prospects of the Digital Ombudsman”, scientific supervisor Oleh Zaiarny, Doctor of Law, Professor, Professor of the Department of Intellectual Property and Information Law of the Educational and Scientific Institute of Law of the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv) – 1st place.
- Valeria Aftanasiv, 3rd year student of the Educational and Scientific Institute of Law and Law Enforcement of the Lviv State University of Internal Affairs (article “Constitutional and Legal Provision of Autonomy of Will and Dignity of Deceased Servicemen in the Context of Posthumous Donation”, scientific supervisor Oleh Pankevych, Candidate of Law, Associate Professor, Professor of the Department of Theory, History and Constitutional Law of the same university) – 2nd place.
- Anastasia Kostiunina, 3rd year student of the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv (article “Interaction of the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine with the Constitutional Court of Ukraine through the institution of constitutional appeal as a mechanism for protecting human rights”, scientific supervisor Viktoriia Dubas, Doctor of Philosophy, Associate Professor of the Department of Constitutional Law, Faculty of Law, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv) – 3rd place.
Hanna Adamchuk, the winner of the competition, received an honorary diploma from the Constitutional Court of Ukraine, a diploma from the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, an offer for an internship at the Ombudsman's Office, a book set from the publishing house “Yurydika”, a souvenir set from international partners. Her article will be published in the Bulletin of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine.
Valeria Aftanasiv and Anastasia Kostiunina were awarded certificates from the Constitutional Court of Ukraine and the Ombudsman, book sets, and souvenir sets. Their works will be published in the “Ukrainian Journal of Constitutional Law”, the editor-in-chief of which is Olena Boryslavska, Head of the Department of Constitutional Law, Faculty of Law, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv.
Encouragement awards were also given to students whose works, according to the jury's assessment, were of a high scientific level.
- Kushnir Iryna, 3rd year student of the I. Malynovsky Educational and Scientific Institute of Law of the National University “Ostroh Academy” (article “The Principle of the Rule of Law in the Era of Digitalization”);
- Murska Marta, doctoral student at Mykolas Romeris University, Vilnius, Republic of Lithuania (article “Independence of the judiciary as a constitutional guarantee of human rights: the impact of the powers of the President of Ukraine”);
- Oliinyk Oleh, 1st year student of the second (master's) level of higher education at the Educational and Scientific Institute of Law of the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (article “Alternative (non-military) service under the legal regime of martial law: problems of regulation, implementation and protection”);
- Shulepova Olena, 4th year student of the Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University (article “Revealing’ Information about Criminal Proceedings vs. Presumption of Innocence: One Cannot Accuse and One Cannot Justify”);
- Yutovets Olha, 3rd year student of the State Tax University (article “Free legal aid in Ukraine: current challenges and the potential of youth in the human rights sphere”).
This year, we received over 100 scientific papers from both students of leading higher education institutions in Ukraine and from foreign universities.
The largest number of articles came from the Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Lviv State University of Internal Affairs, Mykolas Romeris University (Vilnius, Republic of Lithuania); among non-core national higher education establishments: Lviv University of Trade and Economics, Bohdan Khmelnytskyi Melitopol State Pedagogical University, Sumy National Agrarian University, Vinnytsia National Medical University named after M. Pyrogov, University of Customs and Finance, Dnipro, Poltava National Pedagogical University named after Volodymyr Korolenko.
A hallmark of this year's competition was the attention not only to academic integrity, but also to the use of the latest technologies, in particular artificial intelligence. Thanks to Dmytro Yevdokymov, Head of the Kyiv Branch of the Ukrainian Bar Association, certified verification of the competition works was ensured.
The Constitutional Court of Ukraine thanks its permanent partner, the Publishing House “Yurydyka” and its head, Kateryna Holovko, for their support of the competition, as well as the members of the jury, which included judges of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine, representatives of state authorities of Ukraine, and members of the Scientific Advisory Council at the Court. Each work was carefully studied in accordance with the criteria specified in the Regulations on the competition. The decisions were made collectively.
The Constitutional Court of Ukraine sincerely congratulates the winners and thanks all participants for their active position and significant contribution to the development of theoretical and practical aspects in the field of constitutional law.
