On December 8, 2025, one of the key scientific and legal events of the year took place – the All-Ukrainian Scientific and Practical Conference “Scientific Concept of the Development of Ukrainian Legislation as the Main Document of Legal Forecasting,” organized by the Institute of Lawmaking and Scientific and Legal Expertise of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine jointly with the Scientific and Advisory Council under the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. The conference was attended by representatives of state authorities and administration, judicial institutions, scientific institutions and higher education establishments, as well as representatives of the public. This was reported by the Institute of Lawmaking and Scientific and Legal Expertise of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, according to UNN.

The event was moderated by the Director of the Institute of Lawmaking and Scientific and Legal Expertise of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Legal Sciences of Ukraine Oleksiy Kot.

The conference was opened by the President of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Anatoliy Zagorodny, who welcomed the participants and emphasized the importance of the event for the development of modern lawmaking. In his speech, the President of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine stressed that in the context of active European integration processes, the proposed Scientific Concept of the Development of Ukrainian Legislation is a strategic document that comprehensively combines theoretical and practical aspects of lawmaking and should become the basis for further improvement and modernization of legislation. He emphasized the importance of a broad professional discussion of the provisions of the Concept and further work on its development.

It was separately noted that the adoption of the Law of Ukraine “On Lawmaking Activity” is a key event and an important guideline for the future development of the legal system. The President also drew attention to the activities of structures that provide scientific support for the development of legislation, in particular the Coordination Council at the Institute of Lawmaking and Scientific and Legal Expertise of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, and called for professional dialogue and further discussions in this direction.

The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Academician of the National Academy of Legal Sciences of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk, addressed the participants with a welcoming speech, emphasizing the importance of systemic updating of Ukrainian legislation in the context of transformational processes, integration into the EU, strengthening national security, and state reconstruction. He stressed that scientifically sound forecasting of legislative activity is a necessary prerequisite for effective public administration and sustainable development of the legal system.

The Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine drew attention to the fact that today more than a million normative legal acts are in force in Ukraine, and quantity does not always translate into quality. He noted that the presented monograph is essentially an “alphabet of modern lawmaking,” as it clearly outlines the responsible subjects for the development of legislation and defines the main principles of its modernization.

Ruslan Stefanchuk expressed gratitude to the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and the Institute of Lawmaking and Scientific and Legal Expertise of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine for their work and significant contribution to the formation of a scientifically sound strategy for the development of Ukrainian legislation.

Next, the Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine Oksen Lisovyi delivered a welcoming speech, noting that the presented work is an important intellectual basis for lawmaking. He emphasized that lawmaking is a conscious process, and law is a tool for the future. The Minister stressed that any concept is the beginning of a professional discussion that contributes to the formation of new values and the development of the legal system.

Acting Chairman of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine, Academician of the National Academy of Legal Sciences of Ukraine Oleksandr Petryshyn, in his greeting, emphasized that the prepared Scientific Concept has historical significance for the development of legal science. He noted that the judicial system faces problems of insufficient consistency in normative regulation, which complicates the effective protection of human rights, particularly due to the lack of proper procedural codes. In this context, it was emphasized that the presented work lays the foundations of responsibility and proposes systemic approaches to improving legislation.

Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Iryna Mudra expressed gratitude to the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and the Institute of Lawmaking and Scientific and Legal Expertise of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine for the significant results of their work, the formation of an intellectual basis, and strategic guidelines for the further development of legislation. She emphasized that the adoption of the Law of Ukraine “On Lawmaking Activity” places increased demands on the level of knowledge in the field of lawmaking and a deep understanding of legislation. In this context, it was stressed that today the state faces dual tasks, in the implementation of which a significant number of specialists have participated: developing new models for the development of legislation while preserving national legal traditions and introducing innovative approaches, because science shapes reality, and the concept is a tool for the future.

Head of the Accounting Chamber Olha Pishchanska outlined a number of urgent issues, particularly those related to the burden on the state budget. She also emphasized the readiness of the Accounting Chamber to be an active component of joint work on improving and developing legislation in relevant areas.

Head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration, Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Legal Sciences of Ukraine Oleh Syniehubov noted that the European Union is actively studying Ukrainian experience, which indicates its significance and practical value for the international community. He emphasized that these processes must be taken into account in the further development of national legislation, particularly during the formation of new approaches to regulating the security, social, and educational spheres, which require adaptation to modern challenges of wartime.

Rector of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Professor Volodymyr Buhrov welcomed the participants and noted that fundamental theory is the basis of any science. In this context, the presented work is extremely important, as it is precisely in difficult times that the need arises to build high-quality and stable legislation.

The Rector outlined the authors of the publication and everyone who contributed to its preparation, emphasizing the high level of execution and the significance of the work done. Addressing the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk, he stressed that every people’s deputy should have this publication, as it is an important intellectual tool for modern lawmaking.

Within the main part of the plenary session, Deputy Head of the Scientific and Advisory Council under the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Academician of the National Academy of Legal Sciences of Ukraine Nataliia Kuznetsova presented the monograph “Scientific Concept of the Development of Ukrainian Legislation: Justification and Forecasting of Directions of Lawmaking Activity,” prepared by the Institute of Lawmaking and Scientific and Legal Expertise of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. She noted that the publication is the result of painstaking joint work of more than 90 leading legal scholars of Ukraine who combined their scientific achievements to form a comprehensive vision of the development of national legislation.

The report outlined the theoretical and practical foundations for the formation of the Concept, its significance for the development of legislation, and possible models for implementing the developments in the practical activities of state authorities. The monograph systematizes modern approaches to lawmaking, proposes a methodology for comprehensive legal forecasting, contains an analysis of the state of individual branches of law, and defines priority areas for their modernization.

Separately, the speaker emphasized the importance of de-Sovietization of legislation, in particular the review of normative acts that remain in force despite the obvious obsolescence of their provisions. She stressed that the war will end sooner or later, but a number of social problems will remain, so it is necessary to systematically work on improving legislation in the field of social protection, labor relations, and related areas today.

After the break, the conference moved to the block of scientific reports, which was opened by People’s Deputy of Ukraine, Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Oleksandr Kopylov with a report “Theoretical Foundations of the Scientific Concept of Legislation Development,” in which he emphasized methodological approaches to structuring legislation and determining criteria for its quality, stressing that the formation of a modern normative legal system requires a clear understanding of its internal logic, interconnections between branches of law, and consistency of norms and principles of lawmaking.

The speaker emphasized that the developed Concept must be based on the realities of today and meet the needs of a society undergoing profound transformations. He stressed the importance of achieving a balance between scientific approaches and the practical experience of representatives of state authorities, as effective mechanisms of lawmaking are formed precisely through the interaction of science and management practice.

Professor Oksana Vasylchenko delivered a report “Constitutional Foundations of the Concept of Legislation Development,” in which she emphasized the key role of the Constitution of Ukraine as the system-forming foundation of all state lawmaking activity. She noted that no normative legal act can be effective without strict adherence to constitutional principles, because it is the Basic Law that defines the limits and possibilities of the legal system’s development. Adherence to the Constitution of Ukraine, according to her, is not just a formal requirement, but a necessary condition for the stability of the rule of law and the consistency of the entire system of legislation. The speaker emphasized the importance of further deepening research in the field of constitutional law, which should become the scientific basis for modernizing legislation in accordance with modern challenges.

Academician of the National Academy of Legal Sciences of Ukraine Mykola Kucheriavenko outlined the modern vision of the development of public law branches, particularly in the field of budget, tax, and administrative legal relations. He emphasized that the effectiveness of public administration directly depends on the ability of legislation to adapt to new challenges facing the state in conditions of martial law, global transformations, and active European integration.

The scientist drew attention to the fact that in his section of the monograph, special emphasis is placed on three key factors that currently determine the vector of public law development: Russian aggression, which significantly affected the mechanisms of public administration and budget policy; Ukraine’s integration into the European Union, which necessitates the harmonization of legal norms with European standards; and digitalization, which transforms approaches to regulation and requires new solutions in the field of administration, control, and provision of public services. The speaker proposed to pay special attention to civil service legislation, which requires deep modernization to ensure transparency and efficiency of public service.

Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Legal Sciences of Ukraine Oleksiy Kot presented approaches to modernizing private law branches, emphasizing the importance of civil and other private law blocks in forming the legal environment for economic development. He stressed how the monograph was created, in which each author presented their vision for solving problems of private law legislation, and defined the difficult path in its formation and improvement. Separately, the speaker focused on the issue of repealing the Commercial Code of Ukraine and the legislative steps that preceded it.

Continuing his speech, Oleksiy Kot drew attention to the need for further reform of civil procedural legislation, and also noted the active participation of employees of the Institute of Lawmaking and Scientific and Legal Expertise of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in the recodification of certain Books of the Civil Code of Ukraine.

Academician of the National Academy of Legal Sciences of Ukraine Vasyl Shakun delivered a report “Criminal and Criminal Procedural Legislation,” in which he focused on the key challenges and directions of development of these branches of law. The scientist emphasized that the full-scale war created significant complications for law enforcement, particularly in matters of compensation for damages to victims and those affected by hostilities, which requires systemic normative regulation.

He named the crisis of trust as one of the critical factors in the development of the legal sphere, which can lead to the destruction of institutions. In conditions of large-scale emigration and internal displacement of the population, the speaker noted, the definition and proper normative consolidation of the legal status of migrants becomes particularly relevant, which must be taken into account in the modern model of criminal and criminal procedural law. The speaker placed particular emphasis on the need to update key concepts of criminal legislation and further recodification of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

Professor Liudmyla Kupina presented a report “Branches of Social Legislation,” in which she focused on the need to form a modern model of social protection and implement European standards in the social sphere. She emphasized that the development of social legislation must be based on the principles of justice, respect for human dignity, and the priority of human rights, which corresponds to Ukraine’s international obligations and the requirements of European integration. Particular attention was paid to the fact that social legislation remains unrecodified, unlike other branches of law, which necessitates an urgent need for comprehensive reform of legislation in this area.

In the final part of the conference, a broad discussion of the presented approaches took place, during which participants shared their own proposals for the implementation of the Scientific Concept of the Development of Ukrainian Legislation in the practical activities of the parliament and other institutions. Summing up the conference, it was emphasized that the presented work can become the foundation for long-term planning of legislative activity, contribute to improving the quality of normative acts, ensure the consistency of branches of law, and strengthen the state’s ability to respond to modern challenges.