Judges of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine, employees of the Court, scientists, representatives of the teaching staff of higher education institutions, and students participated in the seminar «Leonid Yuzkov: Founder of the Science of Constitutional Law of Independent Ukraine. In Memoriam», which was held online/offline on February 28, 2025.

The event, organized by the Constitutional Court of Ukraine (co-organized by the V. M. Koretsky Institute of State and Law of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine), is dedicated to the memory of the outstanding scientist, teacher, public and statesman, the first Chairman of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine in 1992-1995, Leonid Yuzkov.

As noted on the website of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine, the scientist was one of the founders of Ukrainian statehood, laid the foundation for the formation of modern Ukrainian legislation, and the history of the formation of constitutional justice began with him. He is called the "constitutional architect" of the modern Ukrainian state, whose activities are aimed at protecting the person, because for Leonid Petrovych the person has always been in the first place. The event was opened by the Acting Chairman of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine Olexandr Petryshyn.

He noted that this year, March 2, marks 30 years since Leonid Yuzkov passed away. However, the memory of him as an extraordinary personality and highly professional constitutionalist, the founder of the science of constitutional law in independent Ukraine, lives on in our hearts and in the output of his scientific works, which number over two hundred.Oleksandr Petryshyn focused on the scientist's achievements, including the drafts of the Constitution of Ukraine, which were worked on in 1990-1995, and scientific developments on the doctrine of constitutional jurisdiction and the legislative foundations of constitutional justice. The speaker noted that the aforementioned works contain many progressive short stories that have not lost their relevance over the years.

He emphasized that Leonid Yuzkov was a specialist not only in constitutional law, but also in electoral, municipal law, and state building. His contribution to the formation of a democratic, social, and legal Ukrainian state, the content and direction of whose activities are determined by the rights and freedoms of man and citizen and their guarantees, is significant. Continuing his speech, Oleksandr Petryshyn added that with the assistance of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine and on the initiative of the rector of the Khmelnytskyi University of Management and Law, Oleh Omelchuk, the aforementioned university was named after Leonid Yuzkov in 2019.

The seminar participants spoke about Leonid Yuzkov's life path, scientific and public activities, scientific views and the scientist's contribution to the development of Ukrainian constitutional doctrine and the building of the Ukrainian state.

In particular, the director of the V. M. Koretsky Institute of State and Law of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Doctor of Law, Professor, Academician and Vice-President of the National Academy of Law of Ukraine, Honored Lawyer of Ukraine Oleksandr Skrypnyuk shared his memories, noting that the figure of Leonid Yuzkov is unique and outstanding in Ukrainian statehood and domestic legal science. He made an invaluable contribution to the theory of Ukrainian statehood, the development of Ukrainian constitutionalism, in particular, the development of constitutional justice, human rights and freedoms, etc.

Focusing on the main positions of the outstanding scientist's scientific heritage, the speaker emphasized that a significant place in his theory was given to the issue of the stability of the Constitution of Ukraine, the introduction of the institute of constitutional laws, which would be a kind of companions of the Basic Law. He also stated that Leonid Yuzkov was an ardent supporter of the emergence of his own independent unitary Ukrainian state and stood at the origins of its creation.