SPECIFYING THE CONTENT OF GOALS OF THE CRIMINAL CODE OF UKRAINE AS AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF THE CRIMINAL LAW REFORM

Author
, associate professor, Kharkiv, Pushinska, 77
, associate professor, Kharkiv, Pushinska, 77

In heading

 Law;

Signed print

 27.05.2020

Issues number

 2020 - № 2 (41)

Page

 145-160

Type of articles

 Scientific article

Code UDK

 343.01

ISSN print

 2411-5584

Abstract

 Problem setting. At the beginning of the 21st century, the science of criminal law continues to enhance understanding of the essence of functions of criminal law as the ground for improving its notion and goals of the law on criminal liability, and, as a result, to specify a list of social relations, which stipulate criminal law.
Recent research and publication analysis. Numerous scientists have been examined an issue on the content of penal relations and goals of criminal law. Nevertheless, a majority of scientific papers have been insignificantly considered issues regarding determining the content of goals of criminal law and their correlation with goals of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (CCU). Simultaneously, these issues are of great importance for the reformation
of criminal law, which is occurring in our country nowadays. In addition, the theory hardly contains propositions regarding improving requirements of Article 1 of the CCU concerned with goals of the law on criminal liability.
Paper objective. The article’s objective is to analyse goals of criminal law, using the thorough theoretical basis, to indicate their correlation with goals of the law on criminal liability, to define a notion of provision of legal security, and to reveal its content.
Paper main body. Having analysed requirements disclosed in Part 1 of Article 1of the CCU concerned with specifying the content of goals of the Criminal Code of Ukraine as an important component of the criminal law reform, the authors ascertained the following facts.
In the process of addressing the issue related to the content of a notion of goals of the CCU, it is expedient to apply the following definition: the goals are those the legislator seeks, accepting norms of the law on criminal liability, and those being the content of legislatively determined requirements of penal norms as a form of expression of a corresponding branch of law.
In contrast to the goals of criminal law, a function of criminal law is a category of the system approach applied in characterizing any system, particularly social, legal, etc. Its purpose in all cases consists in determining a certain vector of the system’s activity, orienting it towards a so-called “benchmark”, which is necessary for achieving the established objective.
The use of a terminological phrase «provision of legal security» for determining goals of the CCU in Part 1 of Article 1 is not exactly accurate and allows for at least three definitions of its essence, namely: a) it is about a corresponding right being able to provide certain protection; or b) security is a phenomenon provided through the corresponding legal status (for instance, owing to normative requirements for law enforcement agencies, which express the public nature of the branch); or c) it is about a law, which provides a right to security, etc. Such suggestiveness “blurs” the content of the aforementioned goal of the CCU and makes it inexplicit.
A notion of legal protection for identifying goals of the CCU is more appropriate and thorough by its content because it includes: a) the natural seek of the humankind to protect the most important interests; b) the social importance of protection (taking into account the development of a society); c) governmental experience and its competences (opportunities); d) a subjective definition (legal implementation).
Conclusion of the research. Having researched the degree of determining goals of criminal law (Part 1 of Article 1) within the domestic legislative framework, the authors prove that, in the context of the aforementioned norm, the legislator should substitute “legal protection” of the most important social relations for “provision of legal security” in the CCU.
Short Abstract for an article
Abstract. The article is dedicated to ascertaining the role and importance of criminal law for the government, society, and a person at the current stage of their development. Drawing on analysis of historical documents of the domestic legislation, as well as contemporary requirements, the authors indicate goals of criminal law considered through the prism of attitudes regarding a reciprocal legal relation between a government and an offender. Taking into account contemporary juridical literature, the authors examine the content of the main doctrinal conceptions on determining the functional focus of criminal law, as well as goals of the law on criminal liability. Having analysed the scientific conceptions, the authors prove that functions of criminal law and functions of the law on criminal liability are mutually stipulated categories. The made conclusions are disclosed in de lege ferenda propositions for requirements disclosed in Part 1 of Article 1 of the CCU.

Keywords

 functions of criminal law, functions of the law on criminal liability, goals of the Criminal Code, legal protection, provision of legal security, social relations.

Reviewer

External reviewer

Article in PDF

 145-160

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Code DOI

 10.31359/2411-5584-2020-41-2-145

27.05.2020