Keywords
state awards
legislation
corruption
international standards
gift
legal regulation
labor relations
How to Cite
Abstract
The article provides a comprehensive study of the legal nature of Ukrainian state awards presented to civil servants through the prism of anti-corruption legislation and labor relations. The relevance and timeliness of the study is determined by the high level of corruption risks in the public service, especially in conditions of martial law, and conflicts between anti-corruption norms, labor legislation, and legislation on state awards. The purpose of the study is to analyze the legal restrictions established by anti-corruption legislation on the receipt of state awards by civil servants, assess their compliance with the category of “gift,” identify regulatory contradictions between anti-corruption norms, labor legislation, and award rules, as well as to develop recommendations for their harmonization in order to ensure legal certainty and effectively stimulate public service. The study found that anti-corruption legislation equates state awards with gifts, creating the risk of holding civil servants accountable for lawful incentives. It has been found that the absence of clear definitions of “gift,” “benefit,” and “state award” in anti-corruption legislation causes legal uncertainty and hinders the proper stimulation of official activities. The need to exclude state awards and accompanying benefits from the category of “gifts” in Article 1 of the Law “On Prevention of Corruption” has been substantiated, which will prevent abuse by civil servants who conceal unlawful benefits under the guise of awards and will increase legal certainty. Amendments to Articles 1, 23, and 24 of this law are proposed to harmonize it with the Laws “On Civil Service” and “On State Awards.” The conclusions emphasize the need to harmonize anti-corruption, labor, and award legislation. Prospects for further research include improving mechanisms for assessing the integrity of civil servants in the context of material incentives and expanding comparative analysis of international experience.
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