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  5. Implementation of law in a digital and information state: challenges and prospects for Ukraine in the conditions of an emergency legal regime and european integration

Almanac of law. Issue 16 (2025), pages 155–161.

DOI: 10.33663/2524-017X-2025-16-155-161

Tsvietkova Y. V.
Implementation of law in a digital and information state: challenges and prospects for Ukraine in the conditions of an emergency legal regime and european integration

This article explores the transformation of legal implementation mechanisms in the context of the digitalization of public administration, with particular attention paid to the theoretical and practical distinction between the concepts of the digital state and the information state. The research identifies the key differences in these models, emphasizing the fundamental nature of changes inherent to the information state (such as the centrality of big data analysis, information infrastructure development, and citizen engagement through digital platforms) versus the more technical and service-oriented nature of the digital state, which primarily focuses on the modernization of administrative processes without radically altering the structure of the state.

 Special attention is given to the challenges facing Ukraine, where the implementation of digital solutions takes place under conditions of a state of martial law and concurrent legal harmonization with the European Union. The study analyzes how the digitalization of state services affects the realization of fundamental rights, including access to information, personal data use, and the ability to access government services remotely. It also considers how the war-induced legal emergency amplifies the importance of balancing national security with the protection of human rights, referencing the principles of proportionality, justification, and control, in line with Article 15 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

The article highlights both the benefits of digital governance (efficiency, accessibility, and formal legal equality) and its risks — particularly the emergence of new forms of digital discrimination based on age, digital literacy, income level, or religious views. The study also addresses issues of cybersecurity, state overregulation, and potential misuse of centralized personal data, using the Ukrainian «Diya» platform as a case study. The experience of authoritarian states is analyzed to underscore the risks of excessive digital control.

Finally, the article examines the requirements for Ukraine’s legal convergence with EU standards, focusing on data protection (GDPR compliance), cybersecurity, and digital interoperability. Emphasis is placed on the need for legal, institutional, and technical reforms to ensure secure and rights-based digital governance, especially in a country undergoing armed conflict and comprehensive legal transformation.

Key words: digital state, information state, principles of the legal implementation and legislation activity, state of emergency, European integration.

References

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