Legislation about police

A national police of Ukraine (NPU) – is a central executive body, that serves the society by providing the defense of rights and freedoms of a man, counteraction to criminality, maintenance of public safety and order (article 1 of Law of Ukraine “About the National police”).

The police follows exceptionally the legislation of Ukraine in its activity (art. 19 of Constitution of Ukraine), accordingly – all its actions are clearly regulated by laws and regulations (the so-called specially-permissive type of the legal regulation in the theory of law).

Legislation that regulates activity of police is conditionally possible to divide into a few groups: 1) Constitution of Ukraine; 2) international agreements; 3) laws of Ukraine; 4) bylaws. If the laws and regulations of the first rangs are usually examined by specialists on the different branches of law, in connection with regulation of the branches of law (administrative, criminal, criminal judicial and others), then the last ones remain out of eyeshot. Only the small amount of such orders (for example №1377, which details order of registration of claim about committed crime) is known more to a wide circle of persons, than to law enforcement authorities.

Therefore, to our mind, it is important to underline a “legislation about police”, in other word, the basic laws and regulations that provide its activity.

I. The difference between MIA and National police of Ukraine

As a result of acceptance of new basic Law in the field of police activity – LU “About the National police” from 02.07.2015 (inured on 07.11.2015) a new central executive body (COVV) – National police of Ukraine was formed. However that one that exists next to Ministry of internal affairs of Ukraine.A ministry of internal affairs is a “managing organization” concerning NPU, as well as other authorities of MIA of Ukraine, that are : 1) NPU; 2) State Border Guard Service of Ukraine; 3) State of emergencies service of Ukraine; 4) National Guard of Ukraine; 5) State migratory service of Ukraine.

In accordance with part 2 of art. 1 of LU “About the National police” ” the activity of police is directed and coordinated by Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine by Minister for internal affairs of Ukraine according to law”. The point is that the direct management (acceptance of administrative decisions) is carried out by the chief of the National police (art.21 of Law), but political representative office is under control of Minister of MIA.

The basic authorities of Minister in relationships with the police (art.16 of LU “About the National police” is:

  • providing formation of state policy in the sphere of delivering the police services and control after its realization by a police and so forth;
  • providingof legal and regulatory framework of police activity;
  • authorizationof the strategic programs and determination of priority directions of work;
  • providingof conduct and use of data bases (banks) between MIA and police;
  • decision-makingin relation to distribution of budgetary facilities.

Other authorities of Minister are defined in Order of President of Ukraine №383/2011 dated 06.04.2011 and by the resolution of CMU №878 dated 28.10.2015, that ratified “Statutes about MIA of Ukraine”.


ІІ. A law of Ukraine “About National police” dated 02.08.2015 (inured 07.11.2015)

This Law is a basic law and is higher by its legal force than bylaws. It must be examined in totality with other NPA – for example, by Code of Ukraine about administrative Code of Ukraine on Administrative Violations (CUAV), that contains the norms of material and judicial right (order of detention, terms of holding etc.). The basic blocks of police activity, that formalized in Law are:

  • tasks, principles of policing, its system (departments, chiefs and others);
  • list of police brutalities and order of their application. Police brutalities can be preventive (verification of documents, stop of transport vehicle and so on) and by enforcement measures (application of physical influence (forces), special facilities and shooting-iron);
  • generals about choosing on position of policeman, general principles of passing of service in a police, social defence of policemen;
  • principles about public inspection of police (report to the society, common projects with society etc.).

 

III. Personnel matters

  • Order of MIA of Ukraine №1465 dated 17.11.2015, which ratified “Instruction on the order of realization of attestation of policemen”. Analysis of main principles of this instruction see in the article about  the work of attestation commissions;
  • Order of MIA of Ukraine №1631 dated 25.12.2015 “About organization of the competition and promotion of policemen”. Issued in accordance with art. 51-55 LU “About the National police” and confirmed by “Order of activity of police commissions” and “Typical order of holding competition to police service and/or employment of vacant position”.

 

ІV. Police establishments

  • Order of MIA of Ukraine №181 from 29.04.2009, which ratified the “Instruction on organization of activity of duty parts and subdivisions of internal affairs of Ukraine which is directed to protect of interests of society and state from illegal acts”. The order is a basic document that regulates activity of police control room of local authorities. It is a current order, although its terminology partly became old. Conception of reform considers creation of new system (departments-department of police) work of police control room that, probably, will be contemplated in a new order. This order regulates all elements of “life” police control room – a department of police – order of management, functioning of room for detained and delivered (KZD), order of providing with “Book of complaints and suggestions”, storage of weapon in police control room etc.;
  • Order of MIA of Ukraine №638 from 02.12.2008, which regulates “Rules of internal order in the insulators of temporary detention of authorities of internal affairs of Ukraine”. Order regulates activity and terms of detention in the detention center (ІТТ), that are in the system of departments/of main departments of the National police of Ukraine. As a rule, persons are detained in them not more than for 3 days (persons who detained on suspicion in the commission of crime; persons detained on the basis of decision of investigating judge about permission on detention with the aim of occasion; persons in relation to whom the measure of precaution is detention till 3 days can be prolonged to 10 days, in the cases set by an order; convicted individuals who arrived from investigative isolation ward (SIZO) and establishments of implementation of punishments in connection with proceedings in a court or realization of investigations (of criminal  investigation) actions; administratively arrested – in absence of special reception room for maintenance of persons, given to the administrative arrest (the type of punishment is forseen by Code of Ukraine on Administrative Violations (CUAV)).
  • Order of MIA of Ukraine №1177 from 10.10.2004, “Statute about the order of work with the appeals of citizens and organization of their personal reception in the system MIA of Ukraine”. Principle determines the order of acceptance, registration, consideration, generalization and analysis of appeals of citizens (suggestions, remarks, complaints, are terminology of LU “On appeals of citizens”), and also determines control order after its observance;
  • Order of MIA of Ukraine №785 from 11.09.2001,”Instruction on the order of   functioning of fingerprint identification expertise account of expert service of MIA of Ukraine”. Here should be mentioned that before fingerprint identification expertise (record of imprints of papilliferous patterns of fingers) was applied only for detained in order of CPC and administratively arrested (punishment is according to decision of court), but now it also applied to the detained of administrative crime (in order of CUAV). The policemen received this right after inuring LU “About the National police”(p.7, 8 p.1, p.2 of 26 art. of a Law)
  • Order of MIA of Ukraine №1561 dated 18.12.2003, which ratifies, “Statute about rooms for realization of investigation actions and other measures in authorities and branches of internal affairs”.

     

    V. Criminal procedure

  • Order of МВС of Ukraine №1377 from 06.11.2015, “Instruction about the      order of conduct of unite list of appeals and reports about criminal offences and other actions in police authorities”. A new order changed the previous Order №1050 of MIA of Ukraine, that set the system of conduct of unite list (UL). The system remained almost unchanged, and its basic problem is creation of additional filter the “claims register of unite list-registration in ERDR” remains till nowadays;
  • Order of MIA of Ukraine №940 from 22.10.2012 “About organization of reacting on a report about criminal offences,other offences, emergencies and other actions  and providing with the operative information in authorities and branches of internal affairs of Ukraine”; 
  • Interdepartmental order of MIA and Ministry of Justice of Ukraine №289/540/5 from 26.03.2013 “About measures in relation to the observance of requirements of legislation during detention without the decision of investigating judge, court of the persons suspected on commission of crime, and choosing of precaution in relation to suspected – detention during criminal proceeding.