Almanac of law. Issue 15 (2024), pages 670–675.

DOI: 10.33663/2524-017X-2024-15-670-675

Shevchuk A. V.
Sentencingfor Violation of the Laws and Customs of War (Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine): Legal Analysis of Court Decisions

The article examines the issue of consideration by the courts of the circumstances mitigating and aggravating punishment when sentencing for violation of the laws and customs of war. Based on the analysis of sentences passed in Ukraine under Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, the author notes that such aggravating circumstances as the commission of a criminal offence by prior conspiracy by a group of persons (30% of sentences), the commission of a crime using martial law (20% of sentences), and the commission of a crime in a generally dangerous manner (4% of sentences) were taken into account, committing a violation of the laws and customs of war against a minor (or 9% of sentences), committing a criminal offence by an organised group or a person in a state of intoxication, or on the grounds of racial, national, religious hatred or discord, or on the grounds of gender, or against an elderly person. When sentencing under Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, mitigating circumstances such as active assistance in solving the criminal offence (10% of sentences) and sincere repentance (9% of sentences) were taken into account. The author states that in case of qualification of the defendants’ actions with reference to Article 28(2) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, the consideration of the commission of a criminal offence by a group of persons by prior conspiracy as an aggravating circumstance when imposing a sentence is a double jeopardy. The author proposes to take into account the fact that a crime was committed under martial law when sentencing under Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Attention is drawn to the need to take into account such a circumstance as committing a crime repeatedly in the case when, under the circumstances of the case, the combatant committed several violations of the laws and customs of war and this circumstance was reflected in the indictment.

Key words: violation of the laws and customs of war, imposition of punishment, aggravating circumstance, mitigating circumstance, group of persons by prior conspiracy, use of martial law, repetition, crime, criminal offence, punishment.

References

1. Babanly R. Sh. Pryznachennia pokarannia v Ukraini: teoretyko-prykladni zasady. Chernihiv: Desna Polihraf,
   2019. 488 s.
2. Vyrok Solomianskoho raionnoho sudu m. Kyieva vid 23.05.2022 u sprav № 760/5257/22. URL: http://surl.li/
   shodd (data zvernennia 30.03.2024).
3. Zubanskyi M. K. Kryminalna vidpovidalnist za porushennia zakoniv ta zvychaiv viiny: dys. ... stupenia d-ra
   filosofii: 081. Lviv, 2023. 233 s.
4. Dudorov O. O. Obstavyny, shcho pomiakshuiut ta obtiazhuiut pokarannia: poniattia, pravova pryroda,
   znachennia. Visnyk Zaporizkoho natsionalnoho universytetu. 2011. № 1. S. 204–211.
5. Lemishko Yu. Yu. Mistse obstavyn, yaki obtiazhuiut pokarannia, u kryminalnomu pravi Ukrainy. Sotsium.
   Nauka. Kultura: mat-ly postiinodiiuch. mizhnar. Internet-konf. URL: http://surl.li/shocu (data zvernennia:
   18.08.2017).
6. Shevchuk A. V. Kontekstualni obstavyny yak oznaka skladu porushennia zakoniv ta zvychaiv viiny (stattia 438
   Kryminalnoho kodeksu Ukrainy). Prykarpatskyi yurydychnyi visnyk. 2023. Vyp. 6 (53). S. 139–143.
7. Pro pravovyi rezhym voiennoho stanu: Zakon Ukrainy vid 12.05.2015 № 389-VIII. URL: http://surl.li/blyne
   (data zvernennia 30.03.2024).

Anastasia Volodymyrivna Shevchuk,
Postgraduate Student at the V. M. Koretsky Institute of State and Law, NAS of Ukraine
ORCID: 0000-0003-4289-7752