SOME ASPECTS OF CONDUCTING FORENSIC MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS IN WARTIME CONDITIONS

Abstract

The article is devoted to specific issues of conducting forensic medical examinations during the pre-trial investigation of criminal offenses under martial law. It has been proven that one of the methods of effective investigation of the specified types of criminal offenses is the conduct of forensic examinations. The current legislation of Ukraine, scientific positions and opinions of scientists and researchers in the field of appointing and conducting forensic medical examinations in various types of criminal proceedings are analyzed. It was determined to be important to substantiate a number of scientific and practical positions regarding certain features of conducting forensic medical examinations, both of corpses and of living persons, in order to establish the degree of severity of bodily injuries. Attention is drawn to the fact that a significant number of appointed forensic medical examinations are not carried out on time due to the heavy workload of forensic experts, which is confirmed by the cases cited in the article from the practical units of the bureau of forensic medical examinations. This situation led to the overcrowding of the morgue, the impossibility of timely receipt of the body of the deceased by relatives, and the unstable work of expert institutions. Taking into account the facts presented in the article and taking into account the introduction of the legal regime of martial law in our country, in order to quickly and effectively conduct a pre-trial investigation, it is suggested to involve other specialists in this field in conducting forensic examinations. With the help of a forensic medical examination, an expert can establish: causes and circumstances of death; determine the nature and severity of bodily injuries; group and gender belonging of material evidence to a certain person and the antiquity of their formation. There is a proposal to involve in the investigation of criminal offenses related to the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation to involve the employees of a pathologist, surgeon, or traumatologist of health care institutions in conducting forensic medical examinations of corpses and living persons. However, such changes require the conduct of additional specialized classes, which should be conducted in laboratories where the research of certain types of examinations is directly carried out and include familiarization with the requirements of the current legislation regarding the drawing up of conclusions.