Discretionary powers of the state supervision (oversight) body in the field of man-made and fire safety

Author (s): Korchova I.

Work place:

Korchova I.,

Postgraduate student of the Department of Administrative

and Constitutional Law of the Educational and Scientific Institute of Law, Law Enforcement and Psychology,

Penitentiary Academy of Ukraine, Chernihiv, Ukraine

ORCID: 0000-0002-0812-6922

Language: Ukrainian

Scientific Herald of Sivershchyna. Series: Law 2025 No 3 (26): 7-18

https://doi.org/10.32755/sjlaw.2025.03.007

Summary

The article examines the discretionary powers of the state supervisory (oversight) body in the field of man-made and fire safety. It is stated that the existence of discretionary powers creates a contradiction between the principle of legal certainty and the existence of the possibility of a choice determined by discretion in the supervisory body.

Analysis of current legislation confirms that the state supervision (oversight) body in the field of man-made  and fire safety is endowed with a wide scope of discretion, in particular, when exercising the authority related to the application of response measures in the form of complete or partial suspension until complete elimination of violations of the requirements of the legislation on fire and man-made safety of enterprises, individual production facilities, production sites, operation of buildings, facilities, structures, workshops, sites, as well as machines, mechanisms, equipment, vehicles, suspension of work, including construction and installation work, production and sale of fire-hazardous products, fire protection systems and means, provision of services, if such violations pose a threat to the life and/or health of people. However, the concept of “threat to the life and/or health of people” is evaluative.

In addition, the authority assigned to the supervisory authority allows the latter to determine at its own discretion the scope of the applied sanctions – full or partial suspension of the activity of the facility where violations are detected, which, in turn, makes the authority discretionary. The supervisory authority in the field of man-made  and fire safety is also endowed with discretionary powers in the implementation of its duties to take other response measures – issuing regulations.

Key words: ensuring man-made and fire safety, state supervision (oversight), state supervision (oversight) in the field of man-made and fire safety, application of response measures, violation of legislative requirements in the field of fire and man-made safety, discretionary powers.

 

References

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