Issue 27, Volume 4 of LEGAL HORIZONS brings together a diverse and conceptually rich collection of scholarly works that address enduring theoretical questions and pressing contemporary challenges in law, governance, and human rights. The contributions in this issue reflect the journal’s commitment to fostering interdisciplinary dialogue, historical reflection, and forward-looking legal analysis within both national and international contexts.

Several articles engage with the historical and theoretical foundations of legal institutions and doctrine. The issue opens with the article by S. Prylipko and V. Korolyova, “Staffing of judicial institutions under the judicial reform of 1864”, which offers a historical-legal analysis of judicial human resources as a foundational element of effective justice. By revisiting the judicial reform of the nineteenth century, the authors provide insights that remain relevant for understanding modern challenges of judicial independence and institutional capacity.

Comparative and transnational legal perspectives are developed in S. Masadikov’s study, “Common and civil law approaches to documentary evidence in international arbitration”. The article examines doctrinal differences and points of convergence between legal traditions, contributing to ongoing debates on procedural harmonization in international arbitration. Issues of legal doctrine and interpretation are further explored in O. Kunets’ article, “The relationship between judicial interpretation and the specification of legal norms: Theoretical approaches”, which systematizes theoretical models of judicial reasoning and their role in the development of law.

Public administration and democratic accountability form another important thematic block of the issue. V. Ladychenko and I. Lozinskyi, in “Areas and forms of public control over the activities of executive bodies”, analyze mechanisms of public oversight as a prerequisite for transparency and good governance. Closely connected to this is M. Lysak’s article, “The mechanism for ensuring human rights under contemporary state-building conditions”, which conceptualizes human rights protection as an integral component of modern state development.

The human-rights-oriented transformation of law enforcement is addressed in I. Sofina’s contribution, “Theoretical approaches to determining the functional purpose of the national police in the context of human rights”. The author emphasizes the shift from a predominantly coercive model of policing toward a service-based and rights-centered approach.

Special attention in this issue is given to the protection of vulnerable groups and to legal responses under extraordinary conditions. N. Stepanenko and D. Rudenko, in “Child rights in the family: Legal mechanisms for preventing violence and discrimination”, examine preventive and protective legal instruments aimed at safeguarding children’s rights within the family. Y. Hotsuliak’s article, “Compulsory expropriation and property compensation under martial law in transitional justice”, addresses complex questions of property rights, compensation, and justice in the context of martial law and post-conflict transition.

The issue concludes with the article by O. Korystin and G. Sobko, “Current state and prospects for the development of the system of criminal law protection of sexual freedom and sexual integrity of the individual in Ukraine”, which provides a thorough analysis of contemporary criminal law mechanisms and outlines directions for their further improvement in line with international standards.

Together, the articles in this issue of LEGAL HORIZONS provide nuanced perspectives on law’s capacity to respond to historical legacies, societal transformation, and contemporary crises. We trust that this volume will be of interest to scholars, practitioners, and policymakers, and will stimulate further research and debate on the evolving horizons of legal science.