The concept and content of the expert initiative in criminal proceedings

Abstract

In the article, based on the analysis of scientific literature and legal acts, there is proposed a definition of the concept of expert initiative in criminal proceedings. It is substantiated that it can be considered in a narrow (legal-procedural) and broad (theoretical-applied) understanding. It is proved that it is expressed not only in the right of an individual expert to state in the conclusion of the examination the information that is revealed during the course of the examination, which is important for criminal proceedings and on which he was not asked questions, but also in a number of other initiatives of the subject of forensic expert activity, which are carried out in connection with the implementation of relevant functions in criminal proceedings. In this regard, it is proposed to expand the content of the expert initiative. In particular, it should include such areas of implementation of the expert initiative as an expansion of the range of research objects; expansion of the subject of a specific forensic examination; clarification of issues raised by the party to criminal proceedings; іnvolvement of other expertsin the examination; use of new non-standard methods of conducting the examination; detection during the research of of the circumstances that contributed to the commission of the crime and decision of measures that are necessary to eliminate them; initiative in determining the subject of research in the field of forensic examination, improving the methods of conducting expert examinations. This approach allows us to consider comprehensively the category of the expert initiative, emphasizing not only the practical aspect of its implementation in conducting forensic expertise on a specific criminal case, but also the relevant direction of forensic activity in criminal proceedings in general.