Criminology is ... Forensic science

The concept of criminalistics occupies an important place in the system of those scientific knowledge that form the basis for the professional training of investigators and investigators, judges and prosecutors, operational personnel and experts, as well as lawyers. This discipline develops and improves tactical techniques, technical means, as well as methods for investigating, uncovering and preventing illegal actions.

History of appearance

Preconditions for the emergence of criminalistics were the significant growth and professionalization of crime that occurred in European countries in the second half of the 19th century. Methods, methods and means to investigate illegal acts that had developed by that time did not have a rigorous scientific justification. In this regard, the fight against qualitatively and quantitatively changed crime did not bring the desired effect.

The history of criminology as a science began in the late 19th century. During this period, a scientist from Austria - a professor of universities in Prague and Graz Hans Gross - systematized the cognitive knowledge accumulated at that time was systematized. He also wrote the first work on forensic science. In 1892, the book saw the light. It was called the "Manual for judicial investigators as a system of criminalistics." This work also proclaimed the birth of a new science.

Hans Gross himself had experience of investigative work. In addition, he knew the basics of many natural sciences and was engaged in microscopy and photography. In his book, the scientist revealed the very concept of criminalistics, the content and tasks facing it. Gross also pointed to the possibility of using scientific and technical means for tracing and developed separate methods and methods of investigation.

The history of criminalistics in Russia dates back only to the 20th century. It was then that scientific research was first carried out in this field. In their list are the works of Burinsky, affecting the field of judicial photography and examination of documents. Noteworthy are the works of Lebedev concerning fingerprint registration, as well as Brazol and Tregubov on investigative activities and criminal techniques.

The need for forensic science

Crime has existed throughout virtually the entire history of mankind and has always been an acute problem that has disturbed public opinion. By the end of the 19th century. There were favorable factors for the growth of the number of criminal elements. These preconditions include the development of industrialization, social conditions, etc. But it should be said that organized crime in any country grows only if law enforcement can not stand up for the legitimate interests of citizens. Investigation of unlawful acts committed by such groups is very difficult.

By the end of the 19th century. Criminals armed with new transport and technical means. The investigation of the crimes committed by them began to confuse law enforcement officers. This state of affairs was observed in France, Germany, England and the United States. That is why the governments of many countries have the task of creating an industry of knowledge capable of resisting a crime of a new quality.

The main tasks of forensic science

The work, written by Gross, gave experts and investigators proven practices and scientifically based methods, techniques and means of disclosure, as well as preventing the most complex crimes. It can be said that forensics is a discipline concerning the laws of the mechanism of illegal actions. She examines the issues of obtaining the necessary information about the crime, as well as its participants. Forensic science covers the issues of the regularity of research, use and evaluation of the evidence obtained.

Forensics is a legal science. But at the same time she has an applied nature. The common tasks of forensic science are to bring the activity of all the organs of jurisprudence to a scientifically thought-out level, equipping them with the most modern methods, means and methods of search and cognitive activity. All this is necessary to achieve the main goal - the disclosure of the crime.

The fight against illegal actions is the main task of the science in question. However, it should be said that forensic science is not a partner of a judge or investigator. It is a tool given to them in the hands, allowing to establish the truth.

Special problems of criminalistics concern further study of those objective laws that form the basis of the very subject of this discipline. They include:

- the development of theories as a basis for methods and tools of judicial research, as well as preventing illegal actions;
- improvement of existing ones and development of new technical means, methodological recommendations and tactical methods relating to the collection of research material, examination and use of evidence;
- study and application of foreign law enforcement experience.

Realization of general and special tasks of criminalistics is possible only after solving specific issues put at a certain stage. Their volume is different. And specific tasks can relate not only to the theory of criminalistics. They connect with other fields of knowledge, and also represent a scientific product.

The development of criminology has provided the prerequisites for the emergence of narrower areas. At a certain stage, there were techniques to disclose the theft of public and state property, the use of methods of physics in the detection of crimes, etc.

At the present stage of development of criminology, there are also specific tasks that have practical content. They concern the following:

- expansion of the volume of data of logic and psychology, which are used in forensics;
- application of the achievements of cybernetics;
- development of issues of research of objects undergoing examination;
- a methodology that establishes the causes and conditions that contributed to the commission of criminal acts.

Among the specific tasks of forensic science at the present stage of its development is the revision of the entire system of existing tactical methods, as well as the classification of methods for committing crimes, the use of surprise factors in investigations, etc.

The system of science

Any discipline is a whole complex of parts that have internal regular connections. The forensic system includes four sections. Among them are the following:

- methodological (theoretical) basis;
- a forensic technique;
- Forensic tactics;
- methods relating to the investigation of certain types of unlawful acts.

As for the first section of the forensic system, it is a set of theoretical concepts, worldview principles, as well as categories of connections and methods of discipline. This part of science includes those concepts that form an idea of the tasks and subject of the discipline, the laws of its development and the place it occupies in the field of scientific knowledge. In this section there are also private theories. They reflect the result in the knowledge of objective laws that are basic in the development of techniques, techniques, tools and recommendations. They are used in the fight against crime.

The second section of criminalistics studies those patterns that are a prerequisite for the formation of material traces left by criminals. On the basis of this knowledge, techniques, techniques and methods of detection, seizure, and preliminary research of these materials are developed.

The system of criminalistics also considers such a subject as tactics. This is the third section of science, which reflects the patterns of appearance, transmission and preservation of the ideal traces of the perpetrator. Here, too, communication and psychology of the relationship between people participating in the preliminary investigation are examined. On this basis, a number of practical methods are developed that facilitate the conduct of investigative actions within the framework of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

The final section, which includes forensic science, is a technique for investigating certain types of crimes. This part of the science contains a description of the mechanisms and ways of committing certain types of unlawful actions, as well as traces left after a criminal event. On the basis of this knowledge, special algorithms (bases) for the production of all stages of search activities in typical situations are developed.

All sections of criminalistics are organically linked. And the first of them is a scientific base for both technology, tactics, and methodology, which are developed by this discipline.

What does forensics study?

The subject of this discipline are the patterns of the mechanism of illegal actions, as well as the collection, further investigation and evaluation of evidence. You can also include tools and methods for investigating and preventing criminal activities.

This concept, as an object of forensic science, is closely connected with the subject of studying this discipline. It consists of two parts. The first of these is the activity of criminal elements. The second is the work of law enforcement officers on disclosure, as well as the prevention of illegal actions.

The object of criminology is studied not only by this discipline. He is in the zone of attention of judicial statistics, criminal process , etc. However, each of these sciences studies these objects in order to solve their problems.

Forensic identification

Every crime is committed in real life. And inevitably, in the places where unlawful actions took place, there are various traces, according to which the investigation needs to determine the connection of any of the objects with the unlawful event. And here comes the help of forensic science. Identification is one of its methods, allowing to explore a particular object on its belonging to a crime. It establishes it from many similar objects.

In the process of investigation, there are also subjects of criminalistic identification. These are the parties that participate in the criminal process. In this list are investigators and investigators, experts and judges, suspects and victims, etc. Each of them solves the problem of identification according to its procedural position and the means permitted by law. For example, forensics experts can determine whether an item is an instrument of murder. And the witnesses who saw the criminal can recognize him from the external appearance that he remembered. Every object of reality that surrounds us has many attributes and properties.

Items differ in shape and size, color and composition, etc. Not all attributes and properties are studied by forensic identification. Mostly this technique concerns only the external characteristics of the object, which are displayed on different subjects. For example, the unevenness of any particular ax blade can be distinguished on the wood frame. The same applies to the characteristics that a person's appearance has. They are displayed in a photograph or in the memory of a witness.

The system of criminalistic organizations in Russia

The first expert institution in our country was established in St. Petersburg in 1889. Its founder was E.F. Burinsky. Already in 1892 a forensic photographic laboratory began to work. It was created by order of the Ministry of Justice. Somewhat later, similar institutions were opened in many Russian cities. They were necessary for law enforcement agencies and were used in the processes of special knowledge. There were offices on scientific and forensic examination, later transformed into institutes. After the end of the Great Patriotic War, these institutions received a new name. They began to be called scientific-research forensic laboratories.

In 1944, the Central Forensic Laboratory began its work. It was organized under the Ministry of Justice of the USSR. Later on its base the Institute of Criminalistics was created. It became the Central Research Institute of Forensic Expertise. There is it today. Now it is the Russian Federal Center for Forensic Expertise under the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation. The system, headed by this institution, includes about fifty central, as well as republican and regional laboratories.

There are other organizations in this sphere. So, forensic institutions of law enforcement agencies work under the Ministry of Justice. The expert-forensic center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia heads them. It was created in 1992. In the subordination of this Center there are expert forensic departments and departments, offices and laboratories.

The use of forensic science in litigation

Specific scientific knowledge relating to the activities of criminal elements, as well as work to identify them, are used to determine the truth in making a final judgment. In particular, forensic science makes it possible to conduct additional examinations. With its help, the gaps that were made during the preliminary investigative measures are filled.

Until recently, the achievements in the field of criminalistics were used indirectly by courts. This process was a study and evaluation of those materials of the criminal case, which were collected by the investigator. However, simultaneously with the entry into force of the new edition of the Code of Criminal Procedure, the court has a real opportunity to gather evidence. They are received during independent investigative or other procedural actions.

One of the ways to eliminate existing gaps is the investigative experiment. In most cases, modern forensics uses it to verify the data that was obtained during inspection, questioning, etc. The practice and theory of the investigative experiment have long been developed in the available scientific methods. This method, which is used by the court, can provide effective results. It allows to find out the probability of committing a particular crime, imputed to the defendant. For example, he could have extracted bulky items through a break in the ceiling of the outlet, whether he possessed the professional skills necessary to commit unlawful acts, etc.

In addition, expertise effectively eliminates the existing contradictions. Suppose, the witness, the victim or the defendant persistently try to defend their version. In this case, an expert comes to the rescue, who evaluates each of the options heard, based on special knowledge. In particular, this may concern the case of collision of vehicles, when each of the drivers explains the causes of the accident in his own way.

Examination conducted in the process of criminal proceedings is a form of legal relationship, which is a system of special actions between judges and accused, defenders, investigators, prosecutors, witnesses and other participants in criminal proceedings.

A sentence to a person must be fully justified. That is why the courts must conduct an expert examination in all cases when special knowledge of technology, science, crafts or other fields of activity is required. The results obtained do not have advantages over other available evidence. They are subject to mandatory assessment and verification by the judges.

Forensic ballistics

One of the subjects studied by students of law schools is for sure criminology. Lectures on this discipline affect the system of detection methods, scientific positions, as well as research relating to firearms.

The subject of this system is a collection of actually available data relating to the case under investigation. The objects of judicial ballistics are gas and firearms, objects with traces of a shot, as well as ammunition and their components. The main tasks of the examination are identification and solution of diagnostic and classification issues.

Relationship with other sciences

The discipline that develops the methodology of crimes and the actions of law enforcement bodies is closest to those that relate to the criminal-legal cycle. Similar directions study criminality, and also develop private and general methods of combating it, as well as forensic science. Lectures on these disciplines must be compulsory for students of law schools. Such sciences include criminal law and criminology, criminal-executive law and criminal procedure, criminal statistics and the theory of operational-search activity. This includes psychiatry and forensic medicine, as well as psychology.

The most close ties of criminalistics have a criminal process. Initially these two disciplines have common goals and objects of research.

Forensic science arose and passed the stage of formation parallel with the criminal process. Only as it grew, it became an independent legal science. The criminal process has a pronounced normative character. It defines the conditions under which forensic recommendations are used that serve to disclose crimes and partially for legal proceedings. The criminal process also reflects the order established by law, which should take place during the conduct of investigative actions.

The means, recommendations and techniques developed by criminology are aimed at establishing the truth. And all this is in the framework of criminal procedure requirements.

A close connection is with forensic science with yet another science. This is criminal law. Criminalistic concepts of the mechanism of committing illegal actions and methods of investigation are formed on the basis of knowledge of their legal essence. After all, before conducting an investigation, it is important to identify its characteristic features and constituent elements. If there were no science like criminology, many of the norms contained in the Criminal Code simply could not work because of the absence of investigative techniques.