Unconstitutionality of articles 366-1, 368-2 of the criminal code of Ukraine: irony of fate or defects of the legislative process

Abstract

The fight against corruption in Ukraine is giving rise to new ways of combating this phenomenon, new anti-corruption legislation is often being adopted and improved. Thus, among other things, in 2011 the Ukrainian parliament introduced criminal liability for illegal enrichment, and in 2014 – for declaring questionable information, supplementing the Criminal Code in accordance with Art. 368-2 and Art.366-1. However, despite their long-term duration in the structure of the criminal law mechanism for combating corruption, they have not become effective tools of anti-corruption struggle. Problems of application of Articles 366-1, 368-2 have been admitted from the very moment of their introduction in action as some serious defects in the construction of these norms were placed in the course of legislative process. In the end, based on the decision of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine, these articles expired. Given that the purpose of the article is to investigate the process of legislation and to establish the reasons for the adoption of deliberately ineffective rules on the declaration of inaccurate information and illicit enrichment.

The scientific novelty is that the study indicates the inability of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, which includes the Institute of legislation, scientific and expert management, legal management, the department of relations with the judiciary, the control department and other units, to ensure quality at the appropriate level of results of legislative work. These "precautionary institutions" were unable to prevent the development, adoption of imperfect and knowingly unconstitutional laws, as evidenced by examples of the introduction of liability under Articles 366-1, 368-2 of the Criminal Code and the introduction of repeated manipulative changes, after the entry into force.