Abuse of Power or Official Position: Modern Doctrine and Practice of the Supreme Court
Abstract
Abstract. This article provides a comprehensive analysis of criminal liability for abuse of power or official position in the context of modern criminal law doctrine and the practice of the Supreme Court of Ukraine. The focus is on examining the subjective side of the criminal offense under Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which includes direct intent, a specific purpose-to obtain any unlawful benefit for oneself or other individuals or legal entities-as well as the motives that determine the orientation of the unlawful conduct of the public official. The current version of Part 1 of Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine is analyzed, according to which criminal liability is linked to the intentional use of power or official position contrary to the interests of service, provided that significant harm occurs to legally protected rights and interests. Special attention is given to the evolution of the legislator’s approaches to defining the purpose of obtaining unlawful benefits as a constitutive element of the offense. The article examines recent case law of the Supreme Court and the Cassation Criminal Court (cases No. 359/2636/19, No. 278/1664/20, No. 757/11969/18-к), which demonstrates the existence of different approaches to interpreting the role of motive, purpose, and awareness of the official’s actions in the structure of the subjective side of the offense. The legal debate concerning the relationship between the purpose of obtaining unlawful benefit and the mere fact of intentional abuse of power in the qualification of acts under Article 364 of the Criminal Code is highlighted. A comparative legal analysis of national and international anti-corruption standards is conducted, in particular the provisions of Article 19 of the UN Convention against Corruption and Article 2 of the Civil Law Convention on Corruption, which allows justifying the key role of the unlawful use of official powers to obtain unlawful benefits and the necessity to adhere to the principles of legal certainty and proportionality of criminal liability. The conclusions emphasize that a comprehensive assessment of the subjective side of abuse of power or official position, prioritizing the specific purpose of obtaining unlawful benefit, is a necessary condition for proper criminal-law qualification, effective counteraction to corruption, and harmonization of national law enforcement practices with international standards.
Keywords: abuse of power; official position; subjective side of criminal offense; intent; unlawful benefit; purpose; motive.
Downloads
References
Aidynian, A.V. (2021). Some issues of differentiation between abuse of power or official position and exceeding power or official authority in the judicial practice of Ukraine. Kyiv Journal of Law, 3,
-176. DOI: 10.32782/klj/2021.3.27
Buchynskyi, A.Y. (2024). Some problems of abuse of power and official position. Criminal Law and Criminology; Penal Law, 4, 155-160. DOI: 10.32844/2618-1258.2022.4.26
Buchynskyi, O.Y. (2024). Features of counteraction to abuse of power or official position committed by civil servants. Scientific Bulletin of Uzhhorod National University, 31, 31-35. DOI: 10.24144/2307-3322.2024.83.3.4
Burdin, M.Yu., & Yushkevych, O.H. (2024). Abuse of power and official position by military personnel under special period and martial law conditions. Bulletin of the Criminological Association of Ukraine, 2(32), 622-636. DOI: 10.32631/vca.2024.2.45
Derevianko, S., & Kliuba, R. (2025). Abuse of restrictions on human rights and freedoms under martial law: threats and consequences for the democratic system. Bulletin of Prykarpattia University. Series "Political Science", 21, 155-164. DOI: 10.32782/2312-1815/2025-21-12
Horobets, O.V. (2025). Method of abuse of power or official position as an element of criminalistic characterization. Analytical-Comparative Jurisprudence, 04(3), 155-164. DOI: 10.24144/2788-6018.2025.04.3.23
Hrytsiuk, I.V., & Kachan, T.V. (2021). Implementation of certain measures to secure criminal proceedings during investigation of abuse of power or official position. International Legal Bulletin: Current Problems of Modernity (Theory and Practice), 16, 157-168. DOI: 10.33244/2521-1196.16.2021.157-168
Kachan, T.V. (2025). Use of special knowledge during investigation of abuse of power or official position. Analytical-Comparative Jurisprudence, 02, 1009-1013. DOI: 10.24144/2788-6018.2025.02.149
Kharchenko, V.B. (2022). Socially dangerous acts committed through abuse of official position as corruption-related criminal offenses. Modern Achievements and Development Vectors of Contemporary Jurisprudence, 651-684. DOI: 10.36059/978-966-397-244-2-2-9
Khavroniuk, M.I. (2024). Issues of criminal liability for abuse of official powers. Criminal-Law Counteraction to Corruption in Wartime and Post-War Ukraine: Materials of the International Scientific Conference (pp. 12-19). Kharkiv: Pravo. Retrieved from https://ekmair.ukma.edu.ua/server/api/core/bitstreams/c1707fc5-5187-4f90-9e12-6f29d7ece347/content
Krasnytskyi, I.V. (2025). Correlation between norms on abuse of power or official position and exceeding power or official authority: quality of regulation and law enforcement issues. Scientific Bulletin of Uzhhorod National University. Series "Law", 88(3), 142-149. DOI: 10.24144/2307-3322.2025.88.3.21
Kyrychenko, O.V. (2023). Features of the object of proof in criminal proceedings on crimes related to abuse of power or official position. Criminal Procedure Law and Criminology, 2, 227-233. DOI: 10.32842/2078-3736/2023.2.2.33
Pervii, V. (2022). Covert investigative (search) actions as a means of collecting evidence during investigation of crimes related to abuse of power or official position. Scientific Bulletin of Dnipropetrovsk State University of Internal Affairs, 3, 393-398. DOI: 10.31733/2078-3566-2022-3-393-398
Podkovenko, T., & Holubieva, I. (2022). Abuse of law: general theoretical aspects. Current Problems of Jurisprudence, 3(31), 22-28. DOI: 10.35774/app2022.03.022
Polonka, I.A. (2023). The category "abuse of law" in legislation of European countries: lessons for Ukraine. International scientific and practical conference (pp. 16-19). DOI: 10.30525/978-9934-26-116-9-3
Popov, H.V. (2025). Criminal liability for abuse of power or official position in the construction sector. Analytical-Comparative Jurisprudence, 6(3), 98-110. DOI: 10.24144/2788-6018.2025.06.3.14
Popovych, O.V., Tomash, L.V., Latkovskyi, P.P. (et al.). (2022). Criminal Law of Ukraine. Special Part. Chernivtsi. DOI: 10.32837/11300.18921
Soroka, L.V. (2025).Legal collision under martial law: who is responsible for exceeding power? Legal Bulletin, 3(76). DOI: 10.18372/2307-9061.76.20537
Tsyvinskyi, O.I. (2022). Problems of interpretation of the concepts "appropriation", "embezzlement", and "acquisition through abuse of official position" in Articles 191, 262, 308, 312, 313, 410 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Law Journal of Donbass, 4(81), 2, 149-154. DOI: 10.32782/2523-4269-2022-81-4-2-149-154
Vozniuk, A.A., & Mishura, M.V. (2024). Subject of influence abuse: current issues of criminal law doctrine and law enforcement. Bulletin of the Luhansk Educational and Scientific Institute named after E.O. Didorenko, 3(107), 45-63. DOI: 10.32782/2786-9156.107.3.45-63
Abstract views: 13 PDF Downloads: 16
