Introduction. The author set out to analyse the relationship between the concepts of “criminal liability” and “bringing to criminal responsibility” as applied in the qualification of crimes provided for by Article 299 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (hereinafter – the CC RF). This analysis is primarily aimed at describing the socially dangerous act and establishing the moment of completion of the crime, which is associated with the victim acquiring the procedural status of an accused person. Methods. The research was conducted using the general scientific method of dialectical cognition. A combination of special (private) scientific methods, namely analysis, synthesis, and generalisation, was also applied. Results. A terminological inconsistency was identified in the definition of the moment of bringing to criminal responsibility and release from it, leading to ambiguity in determining the time of completion of the crime under Article 299 of the CC RF. Taking into account the established practice of defining the moment of bringing to criminal responsibility as a person acquiring the status of an accused, controversial issues regarding the performance of this procedural act in the context of various forms of preliminary investigation were examined. It has been determined that when a preliminary investigation or inquiry is conducted under the general procedure, an individual is considered to be brought to criminal liability at the moment the relevant procedural document (such as a decision to charge as an accused or an indictment) is signed by an official. Therefore, only an investigator or an inquiry officer can be the subject of a crime stipulated by Article 299 of the CC RF. If the inquiry is conducted in a shortened form, the indictment decision is deemed to be drawn up at the moment it is approved by the head of the inquiry body, this predetermines his opportunity to act as the subject of the crime in question.