Problem issues of civil jurisdiction within the context of rule of law

Abstract

The article is devoted to the analysis of the problem issues of civil jurisdiction rules in terms of the Rule of Law principle and evaluative interpretation of par. 1 art. 6 of Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ECHR) which establishes the right to a fair trial in civil procedure.

According to par. 1 art. 6 ECHR in determination of his civil rights and obligations everyone is entitled to a fair and public hearing within a reasonable time by an independent and impartial tribunal established by law. At first glance ECHR doesn’t regulate jurisdictional issues. However, conflict of jurisdictions problem should be analyzed in terms of such elements of the right to a fair trial as access to court and “court, established by law”.

In its case-law European Court of Human Rights needs to resolve conflicts of different elements of the right to a fair trial. As to the jurisdictional issues there are conflicts of the right to court, established by law, with access to court, legal certainty, res judicata principle. Ukrainian Supreme Court demonstrates an arguable approach of resolving such conflicts, which has no legal grounds in procedural law.

The author emphasizes the need to use preventive approach to the problems of conflict of jurisdiction, according to which legislation should be predictable for the litigants and rules of civil, commercial and administrative jurisdiction should be clearly designed in procedural legislation in order to avoid conflict of jurisdiction.