The constitutional dimension of the rule of law and the principle of moral responsibility to future generations

The article is devoted to the study of the constitutional basis of the coexistence of the value of the rule of law and the principle of moral responsibility for future generations, mainly in the aspect of protecting social and environmental human rights. The author summarized the theoretical scientific works related to the researched issue, additionally focusing on the application by the administrative court of the principles of proportionality, legal certainty, as well as the interpretation of the law in favor of the individual and the priority of protecting public (public) interests. As a result of the study, new approaches to the implementation of some constitutional rights were developed, in particular, in relation to the protection of social rights and rights to a safe environment, given that they directly depend on the economic development (financial capabilities) of each state that has undertaken the relevant obligations. In addition, several specific changes to the legislation were proposed for general discussion. The author concluded that the principle of moral responsibility to future generations as a component of the rule of law has relatively recently begun to be developed at the scientific and theoretical level, to be enshrined in international treaties and national legislation of various countries, as well as to be embodied in the practical activities of law enforcement and justice bodies. The spheres of the most frequent use of the principle of moral responsibility towards future generations are legal relations related to social protection and environmental protection, which is mainly due to the specificity of these spheres, namely, the delay in time of the moment of decision-making by the relevant subjects of authority and their «visualization» consequences, as well as the objectivity of the presence of contradictions between private (individual, personified) interest and public (public, as a rule, non-institutionalized) interest, which can be represented by international institutions, public organizations, etc. Key words: rule of law, justice, public interests, national security, interpretation of the law in favor of the person, principle of proportionality, coming (future) generations, moral responsibility, budgetary policy, exemplary case, social protection, environmental rights.