Historical development of human rights in Ukrainian law

Abstract

The article examines the development of human rights in Ukrainian law through changes in the legal status of the individual during different historical periods. It is shown that the modern understanding of rights and freedoms did not appear immediately. At the early stages of legal development, attention was mainly focused on maintaining social order, protecting property, establishing responsibility for harm and resolving disputes. Although these rules cannot yet be regarded as human rights in the modern sense, they created an initial basis for the later recognition of the value of the individual in law. The article emphasizes that the Ukrainian legal tradition was shaped by various historical circumstances. It was influenced by the princely period, the Lithuanian-Polish era, municipal self-government, Cossack legal culture, the national movement, the Soviet legal system and European approaches to the protection of the individual. For this reason, the formation of human rights in Ukraine was uneven. In certain periods, rights were proclaimed only partially or remained mostly formal, since their actual implementation depended on political power, the judicial system and the ability of a person to defend oneself. Special attention is paid to the Soviet period, when social, labour and cultural rights were formally fixed in legislation, while political freedoms and mechanisms for protecting the individual were significantly limited. After Ukraine gained independence, a different approach to human rights began to take shape. The Constitution of Ukraine recognized the human being, life, dignity, freedom, inviolability and security as the highest social values. At the same time, the article notes that the existence of rights in legislation does not always guarantee their effective implementation. The article highlights the practical importance of human rights protection. It is not only about constitutional provisions or international standards, but also about access to court, legal aid, enforcement of laws, the work of public authorities and public trust in legal institutions. These issues became especially relevant during the full-scale war and martial law. During this period, the protection of the right to life, security, housing, medical care, education, social support and access to justice became particularly urgent. It is concluded that the current development of human rights in Ukraine should combine legal recognition, international standards and real mechanisms of assistance to individuals in specific life situations.