Features of the Tactics of Crime Scene Investigation in Cases of Environmental Pollution

Abstract

Introduction: Article 42 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation stipulates everyman’s right to a favorable environment. However, currently, the environmental rights belong to the category of the most frequently violated ones. According to the Federal State Statistics Service the number of cases of pollution emissions, discharge of sewage waters and production and consumption waste in this country has a tendency to decrease, which, unfortunately, is insignificant. In the total amount of environmental crime, the proportion of compounds of environmental pollution is low, as before: across the Russian Federation it is 0.49 % as a whole. And the incidence of contamination and spoilage of land in the pipeline breaching, unauthorized landfills, air pollution, water pollution by oil products and other dangerous substances is not reduced. The crime scene investigation for the pollution of the environment is a fundamental inquiry, the completeness and quality of which directly affects the prospects for the successful resolution of the criminal case in court. In this regard, the authors set the goal to uncover the tactical features of conducting such important investigative actions for the detection of most of the environmental crimes as the crime scene investigation. Methods: the methodological framework of the study is a set of scientific methods, among which the main are the methods of information processing and logical analysis, synthesis, induction, deduction and generalization. Results: presented in the study the author’s research of the tactical features of conducting the crime scene investigation for environmental pollution based on the judicial and investigative practice allows using them in the practical activities of authorized officials of the law enforcement agencies when recording and investigating the above facts. Conclusions: the study identified the tactical features of conducting the crime scene investigation for environmental pollution for the purposes of informing law students, and teaching staff of law schools, as well as practitioners to better understand the characteristics of investigating environmental crimes.