OBSERVARE
Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa
e-ISSN: 1647-7251
VOL. 16, Nº. 2, TD3
Thematic Dossier
Rule of Law, Human Rights, and Institutional
Transformation in Times of Global and National Challenges
March 2026
3
EDITORIAL
YAROSLAV KUSHNIR, as guest coordinator
yarkushnir@ukr.net | yarukfurrier@ukr.net
Associate Professor at the Department of Administrative Activity, Faculty of Law Enforcement,
Bohdan Khmelnytskyi National Academy of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine,
Khmelnytskyi (Ukraine). He is an Associate Professor at the Department of Administrative
Activity, Faculty of Law Enforcement, Bohdan Khmelnytskyi National Academy of the State Border
Guard Service of Ukraine. His academic and professional interests focus on administrative law,
public administration, law enforcement practices, and the legal regulation of border security
activities. He is actively engaged in teaching, research, and the training of law enforcement
professionals, contributing to the development of modern approaches to public safety and state
border protection. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8519-5331
SVITLANA LITOVKA-DEMENINA
Svitlana_Litovka-Demenina@outlook.com
PhD in Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor, Department of International Relations and
Organization of Tourism Activity, Interregional Academy of Personnel Management (Ukraine). Her
expertise centers on information systems and marketing strategies within the tourism and hotel-
restaurant industries. She investigates the use of digital tools – such as context advertising,
content marketing, and social media targeting – to enhance personalized customer engagement
and industry competitiveness. Additionally, she studies processes of marketing research in
tourism, emphasizing market analysis, infrastructure development, and systematic data
collection to inform strategic decisions. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8341-9872
IRYNA LEHAN
legan.i@ukr.net
Doctor of Law, Associate Professor at the Department of Law and Law Enforcement, Faculty of
National Security, Law and International Relations, Zhytomyr Polytechnic State University
(Ukraine). She holds the degree of Doctor of Law and also a Candidate of Economic Sciences, and
has completed master’s degrees in both accounting & audit and law. Iryna Lehan is the author
and co-author of over 60 scientific and educational publications, with research interests focused
on international cooperation in preventing and combating transnational crime, as well as criminal
law, criminology, and criminal-executive prevention of crime. She has participated in international
academic internships in universities in Slovakia and Poland and contributes actively to academic
life at her university. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2933-4971
ZHANNA VASYLIEVA-SHALAMOVA
zhannaucs@gmail.com
PhD in Law, Associate Professor at the Department of Civil Procedure, Educational and Scientific
Institute of Law, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (Ukraine). She holds a PhD in Law
and specializes in civil procedural law with scholarly interests in the theory and practice of civil
justice, and is actively involved in academic research and teaching at one of Ukraine’s leading law
faculties and has contributed to scientific publications and conferences in her field.
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3481-788X
KATERYNA VOITENKO
eeusci_kvoitko@ukr.net
Master in Law, Zhytomyr Polytechnic State University (Ukraine). She has been engaged in
publicistic and science communication activities, supporting Ukrainian researchers in
disseminating the results of their studies in international academic journals since 2017. She has
JANUS.NET, e-journal of International Relations
e-ISSN: 1647-7251
VOL. 16, Nº. 2, TD3
Thematic Dossier - Portugal and China in International Relations: Historical Legacies
and Contemporary Dynamics
March 2026, pp. 3-7
Editorial. Rule of Law, Human Rights, and Institutional
Transformation in Times of Global and National Challenges
Yaroslav Kushnir, Svitlana Litovka-Demenina, Iryna Lehan,
Zhanna Vasylieva-Shalamova, Kateryna Voitenko
4
experience in editorial assistance, and coordinating cooperation with foreign publishers. She is
particularly interested in promoting the global visibility and impact of Ukrainian scholarship
through effective communication and international collaboration
How to cite this article
Kushnir, Yaroslav, Litovka-Demenina, Svitlana, Lehan, Iryna, Vasylieva-Shalamova, Zhanna &
Voitenko, Kateryna (2026). Editorial - Rule of Law, Human Rights, and Institutional Transformation
in Times of Global and National Challenges. Janus.net, e-journal of international relations. Thematic
Dossier - Portugal and China in International Relations: Historical Legacies and Contemporary
Dynamics, VOL. 16, Nº. 2, TD3, March 2026, pp. 3-7. https://doi.org/10.26619/1647-
7251.DT0226.ED
JANUS.NET, e-journal of International Relations
e-ISSN: 1647-7251
VOL. 16, Nº. 2, TD3
Thematic Dossier - Portugal and China in International Relations: Historical Legacies
and Contemporary Dynamics
March 2026, pp. 3-7
Editorial. Rule of Law, Human Rights, and Institutional
Transformation in Times of Global and National Challenges
Yaroslav Kushnir, Svitlana Litovka-Demenina, Iryna Lehan,
Zhanna Vasylieva-Shalamova, Kateryna Voitenko
5
RULE OF LAW, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND INSTITUTIONAL
TRANSFORMATION IN TIMES OF GLOBAL AND NATIONAL
CHALLENGES
YAROSLAV KUSHNIR
SVITLANA LITOVKA-DEMENINA
IRYNA LEHAN
ZHANNA VASYLIEVA-SHALAMOVA
KATERYNA VOITENKO
The contemporary world is experiencing a convergence of global and national crises that
profoundly test the resilience of legal systems, democratic institutions, and the very
foundations of the rule of law. Armed conflicts, technological disruption, climate change,
pandemics, economic instability, and rapid digitalization have generated unprecedented
challenges for states and societies alike. In this context, the rule of law and human rights
are no longer abstract normative ideals but practical benchmarks for institutional
sustainability, social trust, and political legitimacy. This special issue of JANUS.NET e-
journal of International Relations is devoted to examining how legal systems respond,
adapt, and transform under conditions of heightened stress, uncertainty, and structural
change.
The central premise of this special issue is that the rule of law, human rights protection,
and institutional transformation are inseparable processes, particularly in times of crisis.
Emergency governance, martial law, digital governance, environmental degradation, and
armed conflict often necessitate extraordinary measures. However, without adequate
legal safeguards, transparency, accountability, and proportionality, such measures risk
eroding democratic institutions and undermining public trust. The contributions gathered
here explore these tensions through doctrinal analysis, comparative perspectives,
empirical data, and normative reflection, offering a multidimensional understanding of
legal transformation in both national and international contexts.
JANUS.NET, e-journal of International Relations
e-ISSN: 1647-7251
VOL. 16, Nº. 2, TD3
Thematic Dossier - Portugal and China in International Relations: Historical Legacies
and Contemporary Dynamics
March 2026, pp. 3-7
Editorial. Rule of Law, Human Rights, and Institutional
Transformation in Times of Global and National Challenges
Yaroslav Kushnir, Svitlana Litovka-Demenina, Iryna Lehan,
Zhanna Vasylieva-Shalamova, Kateryna Voitenko
6
A significant part of this issue focuses on the impact of war and emergency governance
on constitutional order and fundamental rights, with particular attention to the Ukrainian
experience as a paradigmatic case. The article “The Theoretical Foundations and Practical
Implementation of the Priority of the Rule of Law in Times of War” provides a comparative
and empirical assessment of how democratic states preserve legal stability under martial
law. It demonstrates that judicial independence, parliamentary oversight, and
proportionality of restrictions are decisive factors in preventing democratic backsliding.
Complementing this analysis, “International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights During
the War in Ukraine” addresses the systemic violations of international humanitarian law
and underscores the urgent need for updated accountability mechanisms, including the
establishment of a Special Tribunal for the crime of aggression.
The constitutional dimension of crisis governance is further explored in “Constitutional
Control in Eastern European Countries: Models, Effectiveness and Development
Prospects”, which offers a rigorous comparative analysis of constitutional courts as
guardians of democratic order. By identifying patterns of political capture and institutional
resilience, the article highlights constitutional justice as a key safeguard against the
erosion of the rule of law. Historical depth is added by “Constitutional Evolution of
Democracy: A Comparative Analysis of European and Ukrainian Legal Frameworks (18th–
20th Centuries)”, which situates contemporary constitutional challenges within the
broader tradition of European democratic thought and Ukrainian constitutionalism.
Another major thematic cluster addresses institutional reform and public trust,
particularly within the justice system. The article “Judicial Reform as a Factor in
Increasing Public Trust in Justice” demonstrates that digitalization, procedural efficiency,
and institutional independence are essential but insufficient without adequate funding
and кадрова стабільність. Closely related, “The Role of Mediation in the Criminal Justice
System” explores alternative dispute resolution as a tool for enhancing efficiency and
fairness, revealing institutional gaps that limit its effectiveness in transitional legal
systems. Together, these studies emphasize that institutional reform must be systemic,
data-driven, and grounded in professional integrity.
The special issue also engages with the protection of individual rights across diverse
branches of law, reflecting the expanding scope of human rights in contemporary legal
systems. Family law, criminal procedure, labor law, intellectual property, and data
protection are examined not as isolated domains, but as interconnected fields where
human dignity, access to justice, and legal certainty are at stake. Articles such as “Applied
Dimensions of the Implementation of Family Law Rights” and “Theoretical and Applied
Aspects of Criminal Law and Procedural Ensuring the Right to Defense” reveal how
procedural inefficiencies, resource asymmetries, and legislative gaps directly affect the
realization of fundamental rights. The labor law study on flexible and remote employment
highlights emerging social risks in the digital economy, while the analysis of personal
data sovereignty underscores the growing tension between technological innovation and
privacy protection.
A forward-looking dimension of the issue is provided by contributions addressing
digitalization and artificial intelligence. “The Algorithmic Rule of Law: Institutionalizing
JANUS.NET, e-journal of International Relations
e-ISSN: 1647-7251
VOL. 16, Nº. 2, TD3
Thematic Dossier - Portugal and China in International Relations: Historical Legacies
and Contemporary Dynamics
March 2026, pp. 3-7
Editorial. Rule of Law, Human Rights, and Institutional
Transformation in Times of Global and National Challenges
Yaroslav Kushnir, Svitlana Litovka-Demenina, Iryna Lehan,
Zhanna Vasylieva-Shalamova, Kateryna Voitenko
7
Accountability and Human Oversight in AI-Driven Legal Systems” proposes a conceptual
framework for integrating AI into legal decision-making without sacrificing accountability,
explainability, and human control. This article resonates with broader debates on fourth-
generation human rights and digital autonomy explored in “The Evolution of the Doctrine
of Freedoms”, which calls for normative consolidation of emerging digital and cognitive
rights at both national and international levels.
Environmental protection and sustainable development constitute another critical axis of
this special issue. Articles on environmental liability, administrative responsibility for
environmental offences, bioenergy governance, and critical infrastructure protection
reflect the growing recognition that environmental security is inseparable from national
security and human rights. In particular, “The Liability for Environmental Damage in the
Global Climate Crisis” situates post-war reconstruction within the framework of
environmental justice and “green reconstruction,” emphasizing the need for integrated
international and national legal responses.
The international dimension of institutional transformation is further enriched by analyses
of European legal integration, UN collective security, and international cooperation in
forensic psychology. These contributions demonstrate that institutional crises at the
international level – such as the paralysis of the UN Security Council – have direct
implications for national legal systems and the protection of human rights. The erosion
of collective security mechanisms not only weakens international law but also normalizes
impunity, making domestic rule-of-law safeguards even more critical.
Taken together, the articles in this special issue offer a comprehensive and
interdisciplinary exploration of how legal systems confront global and national challenges.
They reveal that resilience is not achieved through the suspension of law, but through its
adaptation – guided by constitutionalism, human rights, and institutional accountability.
The diversity of topics and methodologies reflects the complexity of contemporary legal
transformation and underscores the need for dialogue between theory and practice,
national and international law, tradition and innovation.
This special issue aims to contribute not only to academic debate but also to policy-
making and institutional reform. By identifying structural weaknesses, comparative
lessons, and normative pathways, it seeks to support the development of legal systems
capable of withstanding crisis without sacrificing democratic values. In times when the
rule of law is most vulnerable, rigorous scholarship becomes an essential form of
institutional defence.
