UNAMENDABLE PROVISIONS OF THE CONSTITUTION AND THE TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY OF UKRAINE

Abstract

Background: Unamendable constitutional provisions arose with the appearance of the first constitutions in the USA and Norway, but did not become widespread. The unamendability of a republican form of government, included in the Constitution of France in 1885, continued this tradition. Such provisions became more widespread after the Second World War. Countries that gained independence began to include a mention of territorial integrity in such provisions. Ukraine belongs to such countries (the Constitution of 1996). Since 2014, Ukraine has faced encroachment on its territorial integrity by an aggressor state − its eastern neighbor. Given these circumstances, the study of the nature and meaning of unamendable provisions of a constitution has particular relevance. Methods: The following methods were used in the work to research the main approaches to the unamendable provisions of the constitution. The system-structural method was useful when providing a structural characterisation of the concept of unamendable provisions, as well as its varieties, establishing a relationship with other concepts (multilevel constitutional design). The logical-legal method made it possible to discover the positions of scientists regarding an optimal list of unamendable provisions, the possible violation of such provisions in the situation of a constitutional revolution, and the positions of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine regarding the protection of territorial integrity in Ukraine. The comparative method was used to study the experience of foreign countries. Results and Conclusions: The paper analysed the legal consequences of violation of territorial integrity, concluding that military aggression, occupation and unacknowledged annexation of part of Ukrainian territory by Russia is not a reason to refuse territorial integrity as an unamendable provision of the Constitution of Ukraine. On the contrary, the protection of this provision should be strengthened.