Criminal Procedure Code of the Ukrainian SSR
Criminal Procedure Code of the Ukrainian SSR (Кримінально-процесуальний кодекс УРСР; Kryminalno-protsesualnyi kodeks URSR). Systematic source of the laws of criminal procedure in Soviet Ukraine. The first criminal procedure code was enacted by the All-Ukrainian Central Executive Committee on 13 September 1922 (effective 20 September 1922); a revised code became effective on 15 September 1927, reflecting the all-Union Foundations of Criminal Procedure of 31 October 1924. The updated code was enacted by the Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR on 28 December 1960 (effective 1 April 1961), with later amendments. According to the provisions of the Constitution of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the Criminal Procedure Code of the Ukrainian SSR was based on the Foundations of Criminal Procedure of the USSR and Its Constituent Republics, enacted by the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on 25 December 1958. The code (with amendments) consisted of 8 sections, 36 chapters, and 447 articles. Section 1 contained general provisions, such as the objective of the procedure, jurisdiction, rights and duties of the participants in the procedure (accused, defenders, prosecutors, plaintiffs and their representatives, etc), principles of criminal trial (administration of justice only by court, open court, independence of judges, evidence and its evaluation, etc); section 2 dealt with preliminary investigation; section 3, with trial before a court of the first instance; section 4, with procedure before courts of appeal and cassation; section 5, with execution of decisions; section 6, with application of compulsory medical measures; section 7, with special procedure in cases of hooliganism; section 8, with procedure against juvenile delinquents.
In 2012 the Criminal Procedure Code of the Ukrainian SSR was replaced with the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine. (See also Criminal procedure.)
Yurii Starosolsky
[This article originally appeared in the Encyclopedia of Ukraine, vol. 1 (1984).]