Criminal Code of the Ukrainian SSR

Criminal Code of the Ukrainian SSR (Кримінальний кодекс УРСР; Kryminalnyi kodeks URSR). Systematic source of criminal law in Soviet Ukraine. The first criminal code was enacted by the All-Ukrainian Central Executive Committee on 23 August 1922 (effective 15 September 1922); a revised criminal code became effective 8 June 1927 and was also temporarily applied in the Moldavian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. The revised criminal code was enacted by the Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR on 28 December 1960 (effective 1 April 1961) with later amendments. Pursuant to the provisions of the Constitution of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the criminal code was based substantially on the Foundations of Criminal Legislation of the USSR and Its Constituent Republics, enacted by the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on 25 December 1958. The criminal code was divided into two sections: the general section (arts 1–55) and the special section (arts 56–308). The first contained general principles, such as the objectives of the code, its legislative basis, the basis of criminal responsibility, territorial and temporal limitations, the concept of crime and forms of liability (intention, negligence, conspiracy, etc), and objectives and forms of punishment and other measures and the conditions of their application. The special section contained definitions of specific crimes in pertinent groups, such as crimes against the state, which dominated the list (treason, espionage, terrorism, subversion, sabotage, etc); ‘crimes against socialist property,’ second in importance; crimes against life, health, liberty, and personal dignity; crimes against the political and labor rights of citizens; and crimes against personal property. Altogether, there were 11 such groups, with military crimes concluding the list.

In 2001 the Criminal Code of the Ukrainian SSR was replaced with the Criminal Code of Ukraine. (See also Criminal law.)

Yurii Starosolsky

[This article was updated in 2022.]