Укр Eng
+380 (44) 278-80-24
“Almanac of Law”
  1. Home
  2.  ⇒ 
  3. Almanac of law. Issue 17 (2026)
  4.  ⇒ 
  5. Compliance with legal norms: the classic model and the main trends of transformation

Almanac of law. Issue 17 (2026), pages 247–252.

DOI: 10.33663/2524-017X-2026-17-247-252

Bohinich O. L.
Compliance with legal norms: the classic model and the main trends of transformation

The article examines the transformation of the classical approach to such a form of law enforcement as compliance in modern conditions. It is claimed that this transformation is based on the law enforcement practice of the European Court of Human Rights. It is about the tendency to spread the positive duties of states in matters related to the observance of human and citizen rights. First of all, this concerns the observance of their civil and political rights. Relevant examples from the practice of the European Court are cited.

Based on the examples given, it is concluded that the European Court of Human Rights has formed a new practice of such a form of implementation of the right as compliance. Its ideology consists in the fact that the state, represented by its bodies, in order to achieve the goal of protecting the subjective right, must not only refrain from violating it, but also simultaneously take active measures to ensure it. In this case, the difference between compliance as a type of right implementation and enforcement (despite their similarity) will be that prohibiting norms perform a dual function: protection of the right and its enforcement. Instead, binding norms perform only an enforcement function. Therefore, from now on, law enforcement is a system of legal measures aimed at protecting rights from violations and ensuring them by restoring them in case of violation, and law enforcement is a combination of these two types of duties.

In the context of the studied topic — “compliance with the norms of law: the classic model and the main trends of transformation”, this means that the concept of compliance with the norms of the law has acquired new features. From now on, in most cases, in order to achieve the goal of legal protection, in addition to the passive behavior of obligated persons, it is also necessary to conduct active ones. First of all, what has been said concerns the activities of state bodies. Such activity can be characterized as preventive and protective.

Enforcement will take place when there is a fact of violation of the protected right and the competent authorities of the state will be obliged to take active actions in order to achieve the goal of observing the right. In turn, preventive activity will consist in creating conditions that will make impossible or reduce the risk of violation of such rights. For example, the following active actions on the part of the state will contribute to the observance of the absolute right of citizens to hold public events: legal education, legal education of members of civil society on the subject of respect for the choice of individual social groups to hold them.

As a result, the following conclusion is made. The modern law-enforcement practice of the European Court of Human Rights has changed approaches to the classic formula of compliance with legal norms as passive behavior. From now on, in most cases, in order to achieve the goal of legal protection, in addition to the latter type, it is also necessary to involve an active component. This primarily concerns state bodies, which, in addition to negative duties, must also carry out positive ones, which take the form of binding and preventive actions.

Keywords: implementation of law, compliance with legal norms, positive duties of the state.

 References

  1. Pravozastosuvannia: navch. posib. / O. Nazarenko ta in. / Za zah. red. S. D. Husarieva. Kyiv: NAVS, FOP Maslakov, 2020. 160 s. (in Ukr.).
  2. Borysenko O. Poniattia ta formy realizatsii prava. Porivnialno-analitychne pravo / redkol.: Yu. M. Bysaha (hol. red.), D. M. Bielov, O. Ya. Rohach ta in.; DVNZ «UzhNU» Uzhhorod, 2015. № 2. S. 274–276 (in Ukr.).
  3. Holovchak Yu. Obgruntuvannia pravomirnoi povedinky osoby yak harantii bezpeky ta tsilisnosti derzhavy. URL:chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://visnyk-juris-uzhnu.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/65.pdf (data zvernennia 29.01.2026) (in Ukr.).
  4. Teoriia derzhavy ta prava: posib. / [Ie. V. Bilozorov, V. P. Vlasenko, O. B. Horova, A. M. Zavalnyi, N. V. Zaiats ta in.]; za zah. red. S . D. Husarieva, O. D. Tykhomyrova. Kyiv: NAVS, Osvita Ukrainy, 2017. 320 s. (in Ukr.).
  5. rishennia Yevropeiskoho sudu z prav liudyny u spravi Osman v. the United Kingdom 28 October 1998. URL: https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng#{%22itemid%22:[%22001-58257%22]} (data zvernennia: 29.01.2026).
  6. rishennia Yevropeiskoho sudu z prav liudyny u spravi “Moldovan i Inshi proty Rumunii” vid 12 lypnia 2005 roku. URL: https://base.garant.ru/5848359/ (data zvernennia: 29.01.2026).
  7. rishennia Yevropeiskoho sudu z prav liudyny u spravi “Plattform Ärzte für das Leben v. Austria” vid21.06.1988 r. URL: https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/fre?i=001-57558 (data zvernennia: 9.01.2026).

Дата першого надходження рукопису до видання: 16.03.2026
Дата прийнятого до друку рукопису після рецензування: 09.04.2026
Дата публікації: 30.04.2026

 

Back to contents