FORMATION OF CITIZENS LEGAL CULTURE AS A FACTOR OF CONSOLIDATION OF THE UKRAINIAN SOCIETY

Serhii Zubchenko

Serhii Zubchenko https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6909-7881

Keywords: law, legal culture, human rights, humanitarian policy, social consolidation, national security, hybrid war.

Abstract

The article provides analysis of some topical issues related to the legal culture in Ukraine and its impact on socio-political processes. A significant gap between the norms of the current legislation and the actual practice of their implementation in public relations at all levels, which is one of the markers of an insufficient level of legal culture of society (both external and internal), is ascertained. It is determined that such a state of affairs has a significant negative impact on the situation in the humanitarian sphere, on the dynamics of reforms in Ukraine, on our country’s place in various world rankings, and on the general security situation, which is especially dangerous due to the ongoing hybrid war by Russia. Some organizational, legal and institutional steps taken in the context of judicial, law enforcement and anti-corruption reforms during 2015– 2019 are briefly reviewed.

It is argued that the predictability of legal procedures and interactions (both judicial and extrajudicial), the existence of clear boundaries of the proper and permissible for all participants of public relations, which are the results of a high legal culture, are catalysts for positive processes in society. In particular, legal entities can be assured of the protection of their rights and freedoms, and consequently build a line of behavior by having a more far-reaching “planning horizon” at all levels of interaction (from interpersonal to international), not focusing solely on security needs (without providing of which it is impossible to move to a higher level needs).

The need for further comprehensive state measures for the formation of a legal culture of citizens is emphasized. A number of promising steps to increase the level of general and professional legal culture have been proposed, including: elimination of critical shortcomings and flaws in the legislation; closing the gap between applicable legal norms and the practice of their implementation; development of Strategy for strengthening the legal culture; improving the quality of legal education, updating its forms and content; continuation of the sanctions and restrictive measures on the Russian Federation and its proxies; implementation of proactive policy in related humanitarian sectors, etc.

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