Legitimate expectations in the context of requirements of the rule of law

Abstract

The article looks into the concept of «legitimate expectations», a part of various legal categories. The Constitutional Court of Ukraine and general courts’ decisions are indicative of the national courts’ primary consideration of the concept through the «possessions» lens, following the well-established ECtHR case law under Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 of the ECHR as well as a legal certainty component, which is an element of the rule of law. A conclusion is drawn that «sufficient basis in national law» along with the well-established judicial practices, attributed thereto by the ECHR, serve as the key criterion setting apart individual’s «legitimate expectations» and hopes. For this reason, once a new category of disputes emerges and the courts dismiss the plaintiffs’ claims, the very existence of «legitimate expectations» over the respective period cannot be asserted even if certain provisions of the national law are declared non-constitutional at a later point. Therefore, the role of the court in shaping the «legitimate expectations» concept is emphasized. Should the «sufficient basis in national law» criterion stem from the ECHR practice, another criterion of good faith, a prerequisite to the existence of «legitimate expectations», could be deduced from the understanding of the legal certainty principle in the Venice Commission papers: the Rule of Law Report and the Rule of Law Checklist. The Grand Chamber of the Supreme Court case law was exemplified to reflect on the good faith criterion application. It was emphasized that «those who act in good faith on the basis of law» may expect that their hopes are recognized as «legitimate expectations» and they may count on the judicial protection in lieu of the court's function as a safeguard against arbitrariness pursuant to the rule of law. Key words: rule of law, rule of law requirements, legal certainty, legitimate expectations.