Features of distinguishing between subjective rights and freedoms

About the author:

Aleksander S. Sukhorukov, Cand. Sci. ( Jur.), Associate Professor, Associate Professor of the Department of Constitutional Law, Ural State Law University named after V. F. Yakovlev, Ekaterinburg, Russia; suhorukovs@mail.ru

Abstract:

The article examines the distinctive features of subjective rights and freedoms as legal categories. The purpose of this article is to clarify the nature of subjective rights and freedoms and establish objective criteria for their differentiation. The article analyzes doctrinal concepts and theoretical frameworks concerning subjective rights and freedoms, with particular emphasis on subjective public rights – including constitutional rights and freedoms – and the challenges in distinguishing between them, which significantly impact both legislative processes and law enforcement practices. The research also examines constitutional, legal, and sectoral norms within Russian Federation legislation, demonstrating the practical importance of differentiating between subjective rights and freedoms. The article shows that subjective rights and freedoms constitute distinct legal categories, proposes specific criteria for their differentiation, and provides illustrative examples justifying this conceptual distinction. Furthermore, it identifies peculiarities in certain constitutional rights that, while essentially freedoms in nature, are formally designed as subjective rights in statutory texts due to particular legislative considerations. The study concludes that the legal categories of “subjective right” and “freedom” are fundamentally distinct, and that their differentiation carries not merely formal-legal but substantive significance. This distinction positively influences lawmaking and legal implementation, promotes accurate understanding of these legal concepts, and facilitates the development of effective measures for safeguarding and realizing subjective rights and freedoms.

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