Rule of law, legal awareness and human rights

Abstract

Shelykh A. A. Rule of law, legal awareness and human rights As the title implies the article describes such categories as legal consciousness, constitutional state and providing of human rights and freedoms. These categories are very important for Ukraine, which stays on the way of forming of constitutional state. In the article peculiarities of constitutional state and legal consciousness were described. Also psychic nature of legal consciousness was disclosed based on works of I. Kant and L. Petrozhitsky and own definition of legal consciousness was given. Main ways of providing of human rights were considered. The main purpose of this publication is to explore the role of legal consciousness in providing of human rights and freedoms. It should be stressed that legal consciousness is multidimensional phenomenon, because it has very complicated psychic nature and despite on a big variety of works on such topic it needs detailed research. ‌In this research was found that legal consciousness plays fundamental role in providing human rights and freedoms. First of all, it produces different mechanisms of providing human rights. Everything starts in our mind especially our legal or illegal acts. Legal consciousness is one of the elements of the mind, which is an engine to all changes in society so logically follows that legal consciousness is an engine to all changes which has legal nature. In the article was suggested as a key to forming a constitutional state a legal consciousness, particularly high level of it both in public and officials. In the publication as an argument suggested that if both public and officials have high level of legal consciousness , authorities will make effective and necessary laws and people will perform them at own discretion, because they will understand it's necessarity In this publication empirical method especially method of observation was used. Thanks to this method it was found very low level of public legal consciousness both among the population and the authorities. Also comparative method was used. In the publication legal consciousness was compared with filter that leaks legal information and forms positive or negative attitude to the law as phenomenon. Method of analysis was used in particular was analyzed psychic nature of legal consciousness. And formally logical method was used during the analysis of works of I. Kant and L. Petrozhitsky. In conclusion it should be emphasized that to provide rights, freedoms and legitimate interests of human and citizens necessary to raise the level of public legal consciousness. It can be done thanks to special programs of legal education both for the population and the authorities. Keywords: law, legal consciousness, constitutional state, human rights, freedoms, legitimate interests.