Theoretical understanding of the principle of sovereign equality.

The subject of the research is the principle of sovereign equality in contemporary international law, its normative fixation, and theoretical interpretation within the context of critical legal studies. The study focuses on the aspect of the perception of this principle in international legal science. The article primarily addresses the principle's place in the international legal system, its relationship with other norms such as state immunities, the self-determination of peoples, and non-intervention. The research relies on key texts of international law, including the UN Charter, the 1970 Declaration, and decisions of the International Court of Justice, which affirm the fundamental nature of the principle while also demonstrating its theoretical limitations in the context of actual inequality among states. The interconnection of the principle of sovereign equality with other fundamental norms of international law, including state immunity, the right of peoples to self-determination, and the principle of non-interference in internal affairs, is examined. The work employs a formal-dogmatic method to identify the place of the principle of sovereign equality within the international legal system. However, such a method offers no foundation for uncovering the meaning of this principle. This gap is filled by critical legal analysis, revealing contradictions and uncertainties in the arguments associated with sovereign equality. Among the findings of the study, it is noteworthy that sovereign equality, despite its declarative universality, faces the problem of substantive emptiness. The novelty of the research lies in applying the method of deconstruction of the principle through the lens of critical theory, allowing for the disclosure of its historical variability and contextual dependency, as well as its internal contradictions and emptiness. The critical analysis reveals the tautological nature of its definitions. The author demonstrates that traditional doctrinal interpretations of sovereign equality represent a logical circle where equality is defined through sovereignty, and sovereignty through equality, yet neither provides meaningful content. The author traces the evolution of the principle from theological origins to contemporary economic determinism. The principle requires rethinking in light of new global challenges.