Reforming Criminal Responsibility for Illegal Trafficking in Human Anatomical Materials in the Context of the European Integration of Ukraine

Abstract

Transplant tourism is a negative consequence of the globalization of society. Trafficking in human organs has reached all countries and threatens their security. This international problem requires a response from states, their legislative institutions and international organizations. The purpose of this article is a comprehensive study and systematization of the norms of international law and national legislation, which determine the legal regime of the circulation of human anatomical materials, as well as the identification of shortcomings in the criminal-legal protection of the field of transplantology in Ukraine and the search for ways to improve domestic criminal legislation in the context of the European integration of our country. Various research methods were used to achieve this goal. In particular, the elements and features of the composition of criminal offenses of the current legislation and the relevant novels were analysed using the dialectical method of cognition. Thanks to the use of the historical method, a number of international legal acts have been established that prohibit the trade in human organs. The dogmatic method made it possible to reveal the actual content of legal norms that regulate the circulation of human anatomical materials. The system-structural method was used during the study of normative legal acts of a universal, regional and national nature. Using the comparative legal method, norms of international law and national legislation of Ukraine in the field of transplantology were compared. The paper proves that the most important international legal standard dedicated to the fight against the illegal circulation of human anatomical materials is the Council of Europe Convention against Trafficking in Organs, which provides for criminal law prohibitions that must be implemented by the participating states in their national legislation. All conventional prohibitions are combined into four related groups and compared with criminal offenses provided for by the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Novels of the draft criminal law, which provide for responsibility for illegal transplantation, trafficking in human organs and other illegal circulation of human anatomical materials, were also studied. A comprehensive analysis of the legal regime in the field of transplantology gave grounds for the conclusion of the need to ratify the Council of Europe Convention against trafficking in human organs on the way to the European integration of Ukraine. The research also established that some conventional prohibitions in the field of transplantology are at the same time types of corruption offenses, which are provided for in the current Criminal Code. This indicates the further need for a detailed analysis of such norms, establishing their features, interrelationship and correlation with the relevant provisions of the legislation of Ukraine.