THE LANGUAGE OF LAW AS AN INSTRUMENT FOR INTEGRATING THE PRACTICE OF THE EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS INTO THE NATIONAL JUDICIARY OF UKRAINE

Abstract

The article presents a comprehensive study of the impact of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) case law on the formation of judicial decision-making standards in Ukraine, emphasizing the language of law as a fundamental tool for integrating European legal principles into the national system of justice. The author examines the application of ECHR practice in the administration of justice, identifying key challenges in the translation and interpretation of legal concepts such as fair trial, effective remedy, margin of appreciation, and proportionality, which constitute the core of human rights protection and the rule of law. The study highlights that the judicial assessment of ECHR decisions has not only a legal but also a linguistic dimension, since the accuracy of legal translation directly affects the quality, reasoning, and compliance of judicial decisions with European standards. Special attention is given to the role of the language of law in shaping the professional and communicative culture of judges and lawyers, as it serves as a bridge between the national and European legal frameworks. It is demonstrated that the integration of the ECHR case law into the Ukrainian judiciary is a complex and gradual process that combines legal, conceptual, and linguistic dimensions and requires scholarly, legislative, and practical engagement. The article emphasizes the importance of legal English as an essential component of modern legal education, enabling practitioners to properly understand and apply the ECHR jurisprudence in domestic proceedings. Furthermore, the development of legal writing skills among judges is underlined as a necessary condition for enhancing the clarity, coherence, and accessibility of judicial reasoning, which, in turn, promotes the realization of the rule of law and strengthens public trust in the judiciary. The findings confirm that the language of law functions not merely as a technical medium of legal practice but as a crucial instrument for harmonizing the national legal system with European human rights standards.