COLLECTION OF EVIDENCE BY THE DEFENSE IN UKRAINIAN CRIMINAL JUSTICE: AN ATTEMPT TO ACHIEVE EQUALITY OF ARMS

Artem Kovalenko

doi:10.23856/6420

Artem Kovalenko Donetsk State University of Internal Affairs https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3665-0147

Słowa kluczowe: criminal proceedings, equality of arms, adversarial, evidence collection, defense party, investigative (search) actions, temporary access to items and documents.

Abstrakt

The article examines the procedural opportunities available to the defense party for evidence collection in Ukraine's criminal process. It is emphasized that despite the declared equality of rights of the parties to collect and submit items, documents, and evidence to the court under Article 22 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine, during pre-trial investigation, the prosecution party has a number of advantages over the defense party in terms of available means of evidence. The procedural opportunities available to the defense party for evidence collection have been analyzed, comparing them with the actual evidentiary capabilities of the prosecution party. The author underscores that the current Ukrainian criminal procedural legislation contains precedents granting the defense party certain powers traditionally associated with the activities of the prosecution party. It is proposed to grant the defense party, the victim, and the representative of a legal entity, subject to criminal proceedings, the right to perform certain procedural actions during the pre-trial investigation stage, which currently can only be carried out by the prosecution party. According to the author, expanding the evidentiary powers of the listed subjects is possible provided that some principles are adhered to, including verifiability of procedural actions' results, creating no obstacles for the prosecution party, the usefulness of such expansion, and coercion is avoided. The mentioned participants in the criminal proceedings may be granted the opportunity to conduct inspections of computer data, interrogate witnesses and suspects, undergo voluntary inspections of a person (including medical ones), extract data from technical devices and technical means, and so forth.

Wykaz bibliografii

1. Akhtyrska, N. M. (2011). Bezoplatna pravova dopomoha ta pryvatna detektyvna diialnist u zmahalnomu kryminalnomu protsesi Ukrainy [Free legal assistance and private detective activity in the adversarial criminal process of Ukraine]. Viche. 2011. № 24. Kyiv.
2. Hloviuk, I. V. & Andrusenko S. V. (2013). Tymchasovyi dostup do rechei i dokumentiv yak zakhid zabezpechennia kryminalnoho provadzhennia, spriamovanyi na zbyrannia ta perevirku dokaziv [Temporary access to things and documents as a measure to ensure criminal proceedings aimed at gathering and checking evidence]. Porivnialno-analitychne pravo. № 3-2. Uzhhorod. [in Ukrainian].
3. Kaplina, O. V. (2013). Zbyrannia dokaziv storonamy kryminalnoho provadzhennia [Collection of evidence by parties to criminal proceedings]. Aktualni problemy dokazuvannia v kryminalnomu provadzhenni: materialy Vseukrainskoi naukovo-praktychnoi Internet-konferentsii. Odesa: Yurydychna literature. [in Ukrainian].
4. Kodeks Ukrainy pro administratyvni pravoporushennia Zakon vid 07.12.1984 № 8073-X [Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses]. Retrieved from: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/80731-10. [in Ukrainian].
5. Kostiuchenko, O. Yu. (2015). Okremi pytannia vdoskonalennia zmahalnoi protsedury dokazuvannia pid chas dosudovoho rozsliduvannia kryminalnoho pravoporushennia [Separate issues of improving the adversarial procedure of proof during the pretrial investigation of a criminal offense.]. Visnyk kryminalnoho sudochynstva. № 2. Kyiv. [in Ukrainian].
6. Krushenytskyi, A. V. (2023). Vytrebuvannia ta otrymannia rechei i dokumentiv yak zasib zbyrannia dokaziv u kryminalnomu provadzhenni [Demanding and obtaining things and documents as a means of collecting evidence in criminal proceedings]: PhD in Law Thesis. Kropyvnytskyi. [in Ukrainian].
7. Krushynskyi, S. A. (2017). Problemni aspekty zbyrannia ta podannia dokaziv storonoiu zakhystu u kryminalnomu provadzhenni [Problematic aspects of gathering and presenting evidence by the defense in criminal proceedings.]. Universytetski naukovi zapysky. № 63. Khmelnytskyi. [in Ukrainian].
8. Kryminaljnyj procesualjnyj kodeks Ukrajiny: Zakon Ukrajiny vid 13.04.2012 № 4651- VI [Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine]. Retrieved from: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/4651-17. [in Ukrainian].
9. Kryminaljnyj procesualjnyj kodeks Ukrajiny: Zakon vid 28.12.1960 № 1001-05 [Criminal- Procedure Code of Ukraine]. Retrieved from: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/1001-05. [in Ukrainian].
10. Malakhova, O. V. (2016) Realizatsiia instytutu spryiannia zakhystu u kryminalno-protsesualnomu dokazuvanni [Implementation of the institution of defense facilitation in criminal procedural evidence]. Candidate of Legal Sciences in Law Thesis. Odesa. [in Ukrainian].
11. Myroshnychenko, T. M. (2015) Shchodo pytannia realizatsii normatyvnoho zmistu zasady zabezpechennia obvynuvachenomu prava na zakhyst u khodi zbyrannia dokaziv [Regarding the issue of implementation of the normative content of the principle of ensuring the accused the right to defense during the collection of evidence.]. Naukovyi visnyk Uzhhorodskoho natsionalnoho universytetu. Seriia PRAVO. 2015. Vyp. 32. Tom 3. Uzhhorod. [in Ukrainian].
12. Popeliushko, V. O. (2008). Shchodo pytannia instytutu advokatskoho rozsliduvannia ta yoho dzherelnoi bazy [Regarding the issue of the institute of attorney investigation and its source base]. Aktualni problemy vdoskonalennia chynnoho zakonodavstva Ukrainy. 2008. Vyp. 20. Ivano-Frankivsk. [in Ukrainian].
13. Pro advokaturu ta advokatsku diialnist. Zakon Ukrainy vid 05.07.2012 № 5076-VI [On Advocacy and Legal Practice]. Retrieved from: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/5076-17. [in Ukrainian].
14. Pro dostup do publichnoi informatsii: Zakon Ukrainy vid 13.01.2011 № 2939-VI [On Access to Public Information]. Retrieved from: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/2939-17. [in Ukrainian].
15. Pro zvernennia hromadian: Zakon Ukrainy vid 02.10.1996 № 393/96-VR [On Citizens' Appeals]. Retrieved from: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/393/96-%D0%B2%D1%80. [in Ukrainian].
16. Proekt Zakonu pro pryvatnu detektyvnu diialnist : Proekt Zakonu vid 04.02. 2020 № 3010. [Draft Law on Private Detective Activities]. Retrieved from: https://w1.c1.rada.gov.ua/pls/zweb2/webproc4_1?pf3511=68051. [in Ukrainian].
17. Shepitko, V. (2021). Teoretyko-metodolohichna model kryminalistyky ta yii novi napriamy [Theoretical and methodological model of criminalistics and its new directions.]. Teoriia ta praktyka sudovoi ekspertyzy i kryminalistyky. Vyp. 3 (25). Kharkiv. [in Ukrainian].
18. Velyka ukrainska yurydychna entsyklopediia : u 20 t. T. 19 : Kryminalnyi protses, sudoustrii, prokuratura ta advokatura [Great Ukrainian legal encyclopedia: in 20 vol. Vol. 19: Criminal process, judiciary, prosecutor's office and advocacy] (2020). Kharkiv. [in Ukrainian].
19. Zhuravel, V. A. (2013). Slidchi (rozshukovi) dii yak zasoby formuvannia dokaziv za chynnym kryminalnym protsesualnym kodeksom Ukrainy [Investigative (search) actions as a means of forming evidence according to the current Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine]. Teoriia ta praktyka sudovoi ekspertyzy i kryminalistyky. Vyp. 13. Kharkiv. [in Ukrainian].