Russian Federation
UDC 343.2
Introduction. In accordance with Article 2 of the current Criminal Code of the Russian Federation of 1996, it protects “the rights and freedoms of the individual and the citizen, property, public order and public safety, the environment, and the constitutional order of the Russian Federation” from criminal encroachment. It is only natural that the cornerstone of modern criminal law theory lies in the correct definition of the concept and key characteristics of criminal offences. By enshrining the concept of a crime in Article 14 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, the legislator emphasises the public danger of the act as an essential element that must be established. At present, neither the law nor criminal law theory has developed a unified approach to understanding this legal category. Methods. The essence of public danger and its terminological definition were identified using the dialectical method of cognition. The method of systems analysis was employed during the course of the research. General scientific methods such as synthesis, induction, generalisation and abstraction formed the methodological core of this study. Content analysis of doctrinal concepts, positions and viewpoints made it possible to identify the distinctive features of types of public danger. Results. An examination of the provisions of modern criminal legislation, their application in the work of judicial and investigative authorities, and the concepts and positions of domestic criminal law doctrine has revealed inconsistent approaches to the processes of criminalisation and decriminalisation, the prosecution of specific offenders, and, finally, the scientific justification and formulation of the very concept of the social danger of a crime. In order to enhance the effectiveness of this legal concept in the fight against crime, the author has formulated his own conception of public danger, which should be considered – depending on the entity carrying out the assessment – in the following distinct categories: prospective, actual and retrospective.
criminal law prohibition, public danger, prospective and retroactive, effectiveness of law-making and law enforcement
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