THE CONCEPT AND CHARACTERISTICS OF LAWFUL BEHAVIOR IN CONTEMPORARY JURISPRUDENCE

The article analyzes the principal concepts of lawful behavior. The essence of the concept of lawful behavior is revealed, and its main characteristics are identified. Lawful behavior is a multifaceted phenomenon based on the interaction of legal, moral, social, and cultural factors. The primary characteristic of lawful behavior is an individual’s compliance with established legal norms and principles, which implies not only the fulfillment of legal obligations but also abstention from actions that contradict the law. Lawful behavior serves as the foundation of legal order in the conditions of a modern democratic state. Due to its mass and socially significant nature, lawful behavior enables public authorities to effectively perform their assigned functions and allows law to fulfill its fundamental role. For this reason, state and legal institutions, recognizing the importance of citizens’ compliance with the law, strive to act in ways that encourage society to choose lawful models of behavior. Lawful behavior constitutes a complex and multidimensional socio-legal phenomenon that integrates legal, moral-ethical, psychological, and cultural elements. Its understanding cannot be limited solely to formal compliance with legal norms, as it is shaped by both the individual’s internal convictions and external social conditions, including historical, political, and legal transformations, as well as general civilizational values. In a democratic state governed by the rule of law, lawful behavior must be grounded in respect for fundamental human rights and freedoms, particularly such core values as honor, dignity, life, and health. The modern legal system should not only define the boundaries of permissible conduct but also ensure appropriate motivation for individuals to act lawfully by fostering legal culture, responsibility, and legal consciousness. In this context, the development of both internal and external motivation to comply with legal norms is of particular importance. Key words: lawful behavior, legal behavior, individual, citizen, legal order, legal consciousness, lawfulness, rule-of-law state; responsibility.