Theory and Practice of Forensic Science and Criminalistics

Integrating Scientific and Technical Achievements into Forensic Expert Activity: Procedural Aspect

Ella Simakova-Yefremian — 2025-12-31

The Article Purpose is a comprehensive analysis of the current “Theory and Practice of Forensic Science and Criminalistics” Research Paper Collection considering the issue of integrating specific expertise into court proceedings. The importance of the role of specific expertise in ensuring the efficiency, lawfulness, and objectivity of forensic expert activity is undeniable. That is why the editor-in-chief highlighted procedural forms in which integration processes occurr. In the scholarly contributions to this issue, both international and Ukrainian authors address numerous pressing issues within the forensic domain—encompassing theoretical aspects (notably, the concept of expectations in law and criminalistics, as well as challenges arising from the global digital transformation of society) and practical dimensions (such as specifics of terminal and external ballistics of damaging elements, conduct of multidisciplinary forensic psychological and linguistic examinations, significance of specific expertise in investigating criminal offenses perpetrated by professional participants in court proceedings)—while proposing ways for their resolution

Expectations in Law and Criminalistics: Issue Formulation

Yurii Chechil — 2025-12-31

The phenomenon of social expectations as a component of the legal norm and a factor determining the real status and behavior of a forensic expert is considered. The starting point is the concept of the rule of law, according to which law is not limited by law, but is formed by a wide range of social regulators: morality, traditions, cultural ideas, practices. They form a metanorm that is imposed on the law and often has a stronger influence on behavior than formal regulations. Existence substantiation of above-mentioned discrepancy determines the purpose of the article. Its achievement required the use of a number of general scientific and special methods. In the given context, forensic science appears not only as a procedural institution, but as a socio-cultural phenomenon. Its role is to transform specific expertise into evidence, but society expects much more from the expert than the law provides. These expectations are formed not only by legal norms, but also by cultural narratives, mass culture and ideas about science as a source of infallible truth. They are implicit in nature, but act as norms: non-compliance with them causes social sanctions regardless of the real capabilities of science or procedure. It is shown that the mechanism of formation of expectations is based on the trinity of status, expectation, and sanction. A forensic scientist as a bearer of special knowledge acquires a status partially determined by cultural images, and not only by law. It creates a gap between real and perceived status, which becomes a source of pressure, errors, and stigmatization. At the same time, science providing forensics with methods is itself a system of norms and can produce misconceptions that later turn out to be unsuitable for clarifying legal truth. Scientific novelty of the article lies in the introduction into the legal discourse of the category of “expectations” as a legitimate requirement of a participant in legal relations that follows not only from the law, but from social regulators in general that form the law. This makes it possible to explain why forensic science is under constant social pressure and why its cultural profile is much broader than the procedural one. The article opens up the prospect of further research into the role of culture in formation of legal norms and the need for public communication to reduce the gap between expectations and the real possibilities of forensic expert activity.

Recent Advancements in Forensic Expert Activity in the Context of Global Societal Digital Transformation

Nataliia Tkachenko — 2025-12-31

The rapid digitization of society has fundamentally altered the nature of criminal activity, the sources of evidentiary information, and the operational context of forensic experts. Contemporary traditional approaches to recording, investigating, and assessing data have become inadequate for managing digital traces, extensive datasets, and their recent variations and forms. This requires the identification of traditional trends in the development of forensic expert activity and the re-evaluation of its normative, organizational, and methodological foundations. The Article Purpose is a comprehensive analysis of trends in the development of forensic expert activity within the context of global digitalization, as well as an elucidation of the impact of contemporary digital technologies on the organizational, procedural, and methodological foundations of expert support to justice. The author employs the method of system analysis to identify general technological trends; a structural and functional method for assessing the impact of digitalization on the content and tasks of forensic expert activity. It has been proven that digital traces are being prioritized in expert research. Artificial intelligence, 3D technologies and simulation platforms significantly expand expert practice capabilities. A deficiency of methodological support is identified, attributable to the complexity of digital data and the emergence of their novel forms and variations. Essential changes in the training of specialized personnel are delineated, with particular emphasis on the implementation of automated testing and the advancement of digital competencies. The increasing significance of international cooperation within the context of the transnational character of digital challenges is underscored. Digitization constitutes a novel technological paradigm in forensic expert practice, necessitating the revision of methodologies, implementation of innovative technologies, enhancement of experts’ digital competencies, and standardization of procedures for handling digital evidence. The sustainable development of forensic expert practice is unattainable without international integration, modernization of education, and enhancement of scientific and methodological support.

Principle of Tax Rate Equilibrium and its Application in the Tax System of the Republic of Armenia

Karen Mamikonyan — 2025-12-31

, the tax rates in developing countries, including the Republic of Armenia, create a suboptimal burden for economic entities. From the state’s perspective, this situation also contributes to the issue of tax non-collection. This study may hold significant importance for other developing countries as well, as its primary objective is to determine the optimal tax burden on entrepreneurship through mechanisms for reducing tax rates. To achieve the set goal, general scientific methods were applied (analysis and synthesis, generalization, logical-structural, etc.). The article presents a methodological approach to assessing tax efficiency by analyzing comparative data on the burden of a unified tax rate and applying the principle of tax rate equilibrium. The application of the “50% Balance” principle is considered a key aspect of this research, which is fundamentally based on Arthur Laffer’s concept of the relationship between progressive taxation and government tax revenue, commonly known as the “Laffer Curve”. According to this concept, as marginal tax rates increase, there is a proportional expansion in the shadow economy due to increased tax evasion by taxpayers. This approach is based on the idea of achieving “maximum benefit” for both the state and business entities in the context of taxation. However, in this case, the most stable outcome is considered to be the minimal overall result from which neither side can gain more without changing the strategies of the other sides. Applying the stated principle, strategies were selected in the final stage of the research that correspond to the minimum values of overall benefit for each group of tax rates, such as “profit tax – Value added tax (VAT)”, “income tax – social contribution”, and “turnover tax”, where the state’s benefit is minimized compared to the benefit of the business entity, taking into account the shares of individual taxes in the tax revenues collected in the state budget.

Methodological Aspects of Complex Forensic Psychological and Linguistic Examination Realities of Armed Aggression of Russian Federation Against Ukraine

Yuliia Brailko — 2025-12-31

This article purpose is to highlight the features of conducting multidisciplinary forensic psychological and linguistic examinations in criminal proceedings regarding damage caused to national security of Ukraine. Methodological basis of the research is general scientific and special methods of scientific knowledge. Scientific and methodological principles of such researches are considered, special attention is paid to the object, topic, tasks and methods. Taking into account the multidimensionality of the object of multidisciplinary psychological and linguistic examination, it is proposed to consider it according to the following features: generic (material carrier on which information material is recorded about the products of the communicative activity of a person / persons in a situation that is the subject of investigation / consideration in the legal process); special (information material recorded on a material carrier, containing a set of factual data about specifics, functions of information message as a communicative act and about potential of its influence on mental activity of recipients); information specifics in accordance with the field of special knowledge of the experts (1.2 “Linguistic research on speech” / 14.1 “Psychological research”). General and individual tasks of multidisciplinary psychological and linguistic examination in criminal proceedings regarding causing harm to information security of State are determined. Methods of a multidisciplinary psychological and linguistic information analysis are considered as a mutually agreed operational-logical system with the aim of obtaining data about research object in accordance with the tasks performed and the limits of competence of the forensic linguist and forensic psychologist.

Experimental Researches on Specifics of Terminal and External Ballistics of Damaging Elements of Cylindrical Shape with Diameter of 5.0 Mm

Igor Lurin — 2025-12-31

Annotation: This article purpose is to investigate specifics of damage formation mechanism in a viscoelastic medium that arose as a result of high-speed impact-contact interaction with ready-made cylindrical striking elements. For achieving the goal, general scientific and special methods were used. The main attention was paid to the study of striking elements with a diameter of 5.0 mm, since they are equipped with a significant number of fragmentation munitions (in particular, anti-personnel mines, ammunition for dropping from drones, as well as improvised explosive devices). Experimental researches were carried out in conditions of a ballistic route using optoelectronic measuring complexes, a biological tissue simulator (ballistic plasticine) and special cartridges. Introduction of ready-made striking elements into free flight was carried out using a neuroballistic handheld throwing device, as well as rifled firearms of 5.6 mm and 5.45 mm caliber. It made possible to conduct full-scale experiments in a fairly wide range of contact velocities from 70 m/s to 1082 m/s during research on striking properties and in the range from 547 m/s to 1096 m/s during research on aeroballistic characteristics. As experimental shells, ready-made striking elements of cylindrical shape with a diameter of 5.0 mm and an elongation of 0.96-1.1, that are equipped with OZM-72 fragmentation barrage mines, were used. During research, it was determined that after hitting the specified readymade striking elements in the thickness of the biological tissue simulator behave stably and form conical cavities. They cause the greatest damage in the area of the first quarter (third) of the damage channel. This is due to the almost complete transfer of their kinetic energy by the striking elements to the layers of environment adjacent to the central damage channel in this area. Dimensions of the damage zone in this area of the channel are maximum. Based on obtained results, specifics of influence of the contact velocity and the position of striking element at the moment of impact on the parameters of the damage channel were determined. Empirical dependences of resistance coefficient of viscoelastic medium, the volume and length of the damage channel on the contact velocity were determined. The results of performed researches make possible to predict the severity of shrapnel wounds inflicted on a person and to solve a number of situational tasks related to the investigation of criminal crimes and terrorist acts, while which commission of fragmentation munitions or improvised explosive devices were used. Separate stage is the research on aeroballistic characteristics of kinetic projectile samples that makes possible to determine their striking properties depending on distance to the explosion center.

Using Specific Expertise During the Investigation of Criminal Offences Committed by Professional Participants in Court Proceedings

Yevhen Sup — 2025-12-31

Annotation: The Article Purpose is to clarify particularities of using specific expertise during the investigation of criminal offenses committed by professional participants in court proceedings. This study applied a set of general scientific, special legal and empirical methods, which enabled us to comprehensively and thoroughly research the problem. The appointment of forensic experts, the involvement of specialists, the provision of advising, and the use of digital technologies helped to reveal procedural forms of utilizing specific expertise in pre-trial investigation. Typical types of forensic examinations appointed in cases of this category were analysed: handwriting, forensic, psychiatric, technical, video and sound recording. The potential of using non-typical forms of research (such as semantic-textual or psycholinguistic) is discussed. The author reveals tendencies toward the growing role of specific expertise in ensuring the objectivity of evidence, exposing falsifications, verifying findings of investigative (search) actions and establishing boundaries within which evidence is admissible. Emphasis is placed on the inadmissibility of delegating legal assessment to forensic experts, which is contrary to the procedural model of criminal proceedings. Findings of the study will contribute to improving forensic methodologies and to normatively establishing the use of specific expertise forms in investigating crimes against justice involving professional participants in court proceedings.

Specific Economic Expertisein Investigation of Economic Criminal Offenses

Vitalii Usatii — 2025-12-31

Annotation: This article purpose is to clarify the role, place and significance of special economic knowledge in the investigation of criminal offenses in the sphere of economic activity, as well as to determine the optimal forms of their application at different stages of criminal proceedings. The methodological research basis was general scientific and special legal methods (dialectical, systemic-structural, functional, legal-dogmatic, interpretative and comparative-legal ones). It is substantiated that effective investigation of economic criminal offenses is impossible without involving knowledge that goes beyond the boundaries of traditional legal competence. Complexity of financial schemes, the multi-stage nature of economic processes and the similarity of criminal transactions to legal economic activity require the participation of economists, auditors, accountants and other specialists in the financial and economic field. Significance of audits and documentary checks as a non-procedural form of application of special economic knowledge is revealed, and the clarification of the audit report is also characterized as a reference and consulting activity that ensures the correct interpretation of special terms, methods and financial conclusions. Particular attention is paid to the participation of a specialist economist in investigative (detective) actions, primarily in interrogation as a procedural tool for increasing the accuracy, completeness and reliability of the testimony received. It is argued that professional support of the investigator from a specialist is an important element in ensuring the proper quality of evidentiary information. The grounds and significance of the appointment of forensic economic and forensic accounting examinations are determined, which are the main forms of scientifically substantiated assessment of financial and economic operations and the elimination of contradictions that arise during the analysis of audit materials. It is summarized that special economic knowledge is a system-forming component of evidence in criminal proceedings of an economic nature. Their rational use contributes to increasing the efficiency of pre-trial investigation, ensures the accuracy of financial assessments, minimizes the risk of errors, and helps restore the violated rights of the state and business entities.

Counteraction to Investigation and Abuse of Procedural Rights: Forensic Correlation and Limits of Conceptual Delimitation

Oleksandr Tarkan — 2025-12-31

Annotation: This article purpose is to determine, based on a comprehensive analysis of the theoretical and practical aspects of the abuse of procedural rights by participants in criminal proceedings, the correlation of this phenomenon with opposition to the investigation and to clarify its place in the system of forensic science. Methodological research basis is a complex of general scientific, special and philosophical methods (dialectical, system-structural, functional-activity, comparative-legal, modeling, analysis and synthesis). It is generalized that opposition to the investigation is a complex, multi-factorial and poly-structural phenomenon that encompasses both procedural and extra-procedural forms of influence on the course of criminal proceedings. Its implementation is based on the use of tactical, psychological, organizational and sometimes corrupt means aimed at complicating the clarification of the truth, preventing collection of evidence or influencing the participants in the proceedings. Abuse of procedural rights is an internal, procedurally formalized type of counteraction, characterized by the deliberate use of formally permitted instruments contrary to their functional purpose. It is substantiated that the relationship between the concepts is of the nature of “part - whole”: each abuse is a form of counteraction, however, counteraction is not limited to procedural behavior and may go beyond the limits of criminal procedural regulation. It is proven that forensic science has grounds for including the category of “abuse of procedural rights” in the system of forensic science doctrine of counteraction to the investigation, since this phenomenon has its own mechanism, regularities of detection and is subject to tactical overcoming. Its study creates conditions for the formation of effective procedural and forensic measures to neutralize the manipulative activities of the participants in the proceedings. It is concluded that the integration of theoretical and applied aspects of the analysis of abuses within the framework of the forensic concept of counteraction makes it possible to create a holistic model of counteractive behavior, clarify the boundaries of procedural integrity, identify typical mechanisms of destructive influence on evidentiary information, and develop substantiated tactical recommendations for investigators, prosecutors and the court.

Legal Support for Customs and Forensic Examinations (Expert Studies) in Foreign Economic Activities and Customs Formalities under EU and Ukraine’s Customs Legislation

Iryna Korostashova — 2025-12-31

Annotation: The primary concerns of this study are to evaluate the adequacy of legal support for customs and forensic examinations (expert studies) under EU and Ukraine’s Customs Legislation, and to analyze legal relations in the context of foreign economic activities and customs affairs. Therefore, authorized forensic subjects have to conduct customs and forensic examinations of goods and perform customs formalities to support forensic expert activities. In pursuit of this goal, the author employed a range of general scientific and special legal methods. An analysis of principles governing the legal regulation of customs and forensic examinations (expert studies) and standards for their implementation, as outlined in EU and Ukrainian legislation, was conducted. In this paper, the researcher underscored the extent to which legal relations evolve in the context of foreign economic operations. Classification thereof was developed on the basis of several criteria. The study defines the “customs examination” concept and the range of subjects authorized to conduct this study, as well as the scope within which expert activity subjects operate under EU and Ukraine’s Customs Legislation. As set forth in Ukrainian legislation, customs examinations involve customs operations with goods that are carried out for customs purposes and within the scope of customs procedures. Legal relations in the field of foreign economic activities and customs affairs are closely intertwined with forensic analyses (expert studies) conducted by forensic experts. A comparative analysis was carried out to examine the status of experts affiliated with the State Customs Service and the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine. Legal safeguards for the independence and accuracy of expert opinions were considered. It was emphasized that forensic and customs experts must adhere to corresponding international standards when carrying out expert activities, thereby facilitating the integration into specialized European and international expert networks.

Involvement of Specialists in Smuggling Investigation

Yurii Kovalov — 2025-12-31

Annotation: The Article Purpose is to single out typical forms of specialists’ participation in criminal proceedings involving the investigation of smuggling and to clarify their role in ensuring the efficiency of proof depending on the subject of a crime (timber materials, cultural valuables, weapons and ammunition). General scientific (analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction) and special (dialectical, systemic-structural, comparative-legal and generalization) methods were employed to fulfill this goal. The authors determine that a specialist in criminal proceedings is the central figure of technical-forensic, analytical and organizational-tactical support, and his/her participation extends beyond mere advisory support, covering active assistance during investigative (search) and covert investigative (search) actions. Having summarized case law, it was found that in cases of timber smuggling, specialists in forestry play a decisive role; in proceedings concerning the smuggling of cultural valuables, art historians are involved; and in cases of illegal transfer of weapons, representatives of customs authorities, weapons experts, and ballisticians are actively engaged. It was demonstrated that only with the help of their conclusions and actions could proper identification of objects be ensured, including the detection of concealment methods, formulation of investigative versions, and the initiation of subsequent expert research, thereby contributing to the efficient conduct of the investigation. Prospects for improving the involvement of specialists in the investigation of smuggling are due to the development of unified methodological guidelines, strengthening of interagency cooperation, modernization of material and technical resources and systematic skill-upgrading of specialists, which will jointly promote the completeness, accuracy and evidentiary strength of collected information in this category of criminal offenses.

Current State and Prospects for Incorporating Specific Psychology Expertise into Multidisciplinary Forensic Examinations

Oleksandr Yevsiukov — 2025-12-31

Annotation: Current state of science and technology development, as well as challenges posed by war, should be addressed by the expert community in order to ensure an adequate level of expert support to justice. These issues inspire researchers to enhance forensic expert activities, particularly those related to the use of specific expertise in forensic psychology. Multidisciplinary forensic examinations are crucial in this regard. The primary concerns of this paper are to analyse scientific papers, legal regulations, and forensic expert practice and provide, on this basis, a description of the current state and prospects for integrating specific expertise in forensic psychology into multidisciplinary forensic examinations. General, individual, and special methods were applied during the study of questions pertaining to the Article’s purpose. Within the framework of modernizing Ukrainian legislation, which governs forensic expert activity, and against the backdrop of developing various branches of specific expertise, the practice of conducting forensic psychological and other types of multidisciplinary forensic examinations is being supplemented with new categories and methodologies reflecting the essence of the subject matter, tasks, objects, subjects and research methods. That is why this issue is becoming increasingly relevant and must be thoroughly analysed. The issue of integration and differentiation of specific expertise was considered and the following classification of multidisciplinary forensic examinations was proposed: psychological and psychiatric; medical, psychiatric and psychological (sexological and psychological); medical and psychological; psychological and engineering-technical; psychological and handwriting; psychological and linguistic; psycholinguistic and video/sound recording; psychology and art studies; military and psychological. The aforementioned provisions and recommendations are intended for implementation in expert practice, with the aim of boosting the efficiency of forensic expert activity.