Overview Related to Exhumation of Animal Corpses: Theoretical, Legal and Organizational Principles
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32353/khrife.1.2025.11Keywords:
exhumation; examination; animal corpses; veterinary medicine specialist; criminal proceedings.Abstract
The procedure for conducting and problematic aspects of examination associated with the exhumation of animal corpses as a procedural action in criminal proceedings is outlined. It is proposed to supplement the criminal procedural legislation of Ukraine with a new Article 239-1 “Examination associated with the exhumation of animal corpses”. The definition of “exhumation of animal corpses” is formulated for the first time. It is stated that the objects of exhumation can be whole animal corpses regardless of species, age, sex, breed, including aborted fetuses, stillborn or live-born animals; remains of any degree of integrity (fragmentation), in particular, in a state of criminal destruction. It is noted that participants in the examination of an animal corpse associated with exhumation are a prosecutor, investigator or investigator, as well as a veterinary medicine specialist, specialists of the State Service for Food and Consumer Protection (in particular, laboratories of various levels of this State structure), at least two witnesses and technical staff. The content of examination stages (preparatory, main (exhumation and forensic veterinary examination), final) of the animal corpse(s) associated with exhumation is argued, each of which contains its own phases. It is emphasized that the procedure for examination associated with exhumation of animal corpse(s) set out in this research paper can become a component of methodological recommendations for law enforcement agencies and courts during pre-trial investigation or judicial investigation in criminal proceedings regarding crimes against health and life of animals. For achieving this goal, interrelated methods were used (analysis, synthesis, analogy; formal-logical one; logical-grammatical one; systemic-structural one; theoretical-legal modeling; comparative-legal one).
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