Ukrainian legal language without Sovietization “sludge”: results of the round table “Legal terminology: problems of standardization”

On October 25, 2024, the National Commission on State Language Standards, in cooperation with leading Ukrainian academic and legal institutions, held a roundtable discussion on the standardization of Ukrainian legal terminology. The event brought together linguists, lawyers, and representatives of government institutions.

The event was aimed at eliminating Soviet distortions in the Ukrainian legal language and restoring its authenticity.
Speakers included First Vice President of the National Academy of Legal Sciences Oleksandr Bandurka, Director of the Institute of the Ukrainian Language of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Professor Pavlo Hrytsenko, and Head of the Center for Legal Terminology of the National Academy of Lawyers of Ukraine Serhiy Holovaty, who highlighted the importance of accuracy in legal terminology, particularly in the field of constitutional law.

Anna Vyshniakova, Head of LingvaLexa NGO and an expert in international criminal law, emphasized the need to integrate international standards into the Ukrainian legal language to help it meet modern challenges.

The event emphasized the importance of cooperation between linguists, lawyers and government agencies to create standardized and high-quality legal terminology.

The roundtable concluded with a call for further cooperation to develop and preserve the Ukrainian legal language.