Legal Principles of Interaction between Local Self-Government Bodies and the National Police in the Field of Protecting Cultural Heritage in Terms of Martial Law

Abstract

The authors of the article have studied the legal principles in the interaction between local self-government bodies and the National Police in the field of cultural heritage protection, in terms of martial law in Ukraine. The authors have analysed the current legislation regulating the powers of the relevant entities in the field of cultural heritage and objects’ preservation, including the Ukranian laws on the protection of cultural heritage, on the National Police, as well as the relevant by-laws. Practical problems related to the fragmentation and vagueness of normative regulation, in particular the lack of special provisions on involving the police in security measures in emergency situations, have been outlined. The feasibility of amending the relevant laws has been substantiated, particularly by supplementing the law on the protection of cultural heritage with a norm on legal grounds and mechanisms of interacting with the police. Particular attention has been paid to perspectives for harmonizing the national legislation with international legal acts, such as the 1954 Hague Convention and the 2005 Faro Convention. Specific areas for improving the regulatory framework have been suggested, including the inventory of powers of local self-government bodies, modernization of legislation in the field of culture, and the initiative for codification in the form of the Code of Laws on Culture. The article contains analytical generalizations and practical recommendations and is based on an interdisciplinary approach using the methods of legal analysis, comparative law, and elements of public administration.