Gaps in Russian Legislation

This article discusses the problem of using methodological tools in conducting scientific research in the field of legal sciences. Using the example of dissertation research on Article 212 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation "Mass Riots", the article highlights the violations in the application of methodological tools.

The issues of representation in criminal proceedings are still debatable. As noted in the paper, this is due to the weak legislative regulation of this institution in the criminal process. In particular, the procedure for involving a representative in a case is poorly regulated, and the category of persons who can be representatives is not defined. Among the proposals is the need to make appropriate changes to the norms of current legislation.

In the context of globalization, digitalization, and the rapid spread of information, the issue of countering extremism requires prompt response to instances of extremism and immediate measures to prevent their spread. This process involves both public authorities and civil society, each playing a unique role in developing a comprehensive strategy to address this issue.

This article examines the security of citizens participating in operational investigative activities. The law on operational investigative activities stipulates that, in order to ensure the safety of citizens cooperating with agencies conducting operational investigative activities and their family members, special protective measures may be implemented in accordance with the procedure established by legislative and other regulatory legal acts of Russia. Protecting citizens from post-criminal influence is a highly relevant task during operational investigative activities, which, like criminal procedural ones, are driven by the need to combat crime and, along with criminal proceedings, are aimed at achieving the ultimate goal of administering justice. The purpose of this study is to define a system of foundations and principles, where one of the prerequisites for the effective protection of confidential information is its legal regulation. The principles of this activity include secrecy, a combination of overt and covert methods and means, with particular attention paid to the principle of secrecy. Its essence lies in the implementation of operational investigative activities in a manner that keeps the tactics, content, forms, methods, forces, and means of conducting specific operational investigative activities and operations secret from outsiders (primarily from those committing crimes). Based on their research, the authors conclude that Russian legislation regulating operational search activities contains the necessary provisions to guarantee the safety of its participants. A significant portion of the security measures stipulated in the Law on Operational Search Activities is distinguished by the fact that, as demonstrated, they are not defined as separate, independent provisions. This is because ensuring the safety of individuals cooperating with operational search agencies is an integral part of various operational search activities, and therefore security measures are integrated into the provisions governing the overall procedure for conducting operational search activities, as well as into other provisions of the Law under review. These short-comings of the Law on Operational Search Activities should be taken into ac-count when improving it.

This article examines the improvement of the penal system for economic crimes, evaluates it, and proposes measures to improve this area of criminal law policy.

The purpose of this publication is to analyze the current penal system for economic crimes and, based on this, develop proposals for its improvement.

Conclusions of the study. This article formulates conclusions for improving the penal system for those convicted of economic crimes, as well as recommendations for the application of specific types of punishment to these individuals.

Scientific significance of the publication. This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the system of penalties applied to individuals who have committed economic crimes. It reassesses the application of non-custodial penalties to individuals convicted of these offenses.

Practical significance of the publication. The material presented in this publication facilitates a deeper understanding of the penalties applied to individuals who have committed such crimes. Recommendations for the application of specific types of penalties facilitate the courts' efforts to impose penalties for the analyzed crimes and the official work of Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) employees in enforcing penalties against individuals convicted of economic crimes.

This article examines criminal liability for the illegal circulation of industrial products in the Russian Federation.

This article examines the circulation of counterfeit and adulterated goods (industrial products) as the basis for this negative socio-legal phenomenon.

Criminal law provisions pertaining to criminally punishable acts that form the basis of the illegal circulation of industrial products are analyzed. The elements of the corresponding offenses are identified, allowing specific articles of the Special Part of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation to be classified as crimes related to the circulation of counterfeit and adulterated industrial products.

The article also identifies criminal law characteristics that allow specific articles within this group of offenses to be classified as organized crime.

A number of conclusions are drawn regarding the state of protection of public relations from the threat of counterfeit and adulterated goods through criminal law.

Proposals are formulated to improve policy in combating the illegal circulation of industrial products. This work is aimed at legislators and law enforcement officers in the field of criminal justice, as well as undergraduate and graduate students and faculty members of law schools studying criminal law, criminology, and public administration in the field of security.

Purpose of the study. The article is devoted to the classification of organizational and managerial investigative situations in the preliminary investigation of crimes. Based on the analysis of a number of forensic theories, a division of these situations into ordered and disordered based on organizational and managerial uncertainty is proposed. Ordered situations are characterized by the absence of structural and functional problems and focus on the procedural recording of facts. Disordered situations are formed under the influence of practical ambiguities, administrative barriers and limitations in available means, which prompts the investigator to search for ways to improve process coordination. The principles of classification, the impact of uncertainty on the investigation process and ways to overcome it are discussed. The article emphasizes the importance of situation recognition for the effective implementation of criminal proceedings. The aim of the study is to develop a classification of organizational and managerial investigative situations of preliminary investigation of crimes based on a situational approach, taking into account the principles of forensic classification, in order to optimize the organizational and managerial function of the investigator aimed at obtaining forensically significant information and fulfilling the purpose of criminal proceedings. Conclusions. Based on an analysis of forensic classifications and principles for dividing concepts, it is proposed to classify organizational and managerial investigative situations based on organizational and managerial uncertainty into two types: structured and disordered. Structured situations represent an ideal investigative environment, where structural and functional problems are absent, and the process is reduced to the procedural recording of the circumstances of the crime. Disordered situations are characterized by administrative obstacles, practical ambiguities, and a lack of real or personal opportunities to resolve them, which requires additional resources and an adjusted approach. The main challenge lies in reducing organizational uncertainty using procedural and forensic tools. Correctly recognizing and resolving these situations ensures the effectiveness of the preliminary investigation, minimizing the risk of error and facilitating the achievement of the goals of criminal proceedings.

This article examines issues related to the organization of research work at law schools in the Russian Federation. It analyzes this activity in the current context and formulates conclusions and proposals for improving this aspect of the institutions' work.

The purpose of this publication is to analyze the current state of research work at law schools in the Russian Federation and to develop proposals for its improvement.

Conclusions of the study. The article formulates conclusions regarding the current state of research organization at various universities across the country. Positive experiences in this area of activity at individual universities are presented, along with proposals for their application and improvement in the real-life context of Russian education.

Scientific significance of the publication. The article provides a comprehensive analysis of the organization of research at several law schools in the Russian Federation. It evaluates methods of organizing research, such as conducting it in specialized research departments at universities. The most promising forms of improvement are proposed, taking into account other university operating circumstances, including the interaction of research with the educational and methodological work carried out at law schools. Practical significance of the publication. The materials, conclusions, and proposals contained in the article can be used in various areas of research in departments and other divisions of law schools.

The purpose of this article is to explore issues related to political sleuthing in the Moscow state in the 17th century. Based on a number of sources, the activities of the first body of the political police in Russia, the Secret Order (the Order of Secret Affairs), are analyzed. The object of the study is the state policy during the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich in terms of ensuring state security and combating state crimes. The subject of the study is regulatory legal acts related to the detection, suppression, investigation of state crimes in the specified era, as well as other sources related to the establishment and functioning of the Secret Order. Within the framework of the research methodology using historical-legal, comparative-legal and comparative-historical methods, the analysis of the activities of the Secret Order in the period 1656-1676 was carried out. The reasons for the creation of the Secret Order are indicated, the structure of this state body, its functions, ways and means of carrying out activities are described. In particular, it shows the procedure for investigating cases of the "word and deed of the sovereign", the interaction of the Secret Order with other bodies and institutions that performed police functions. Examples of investigative activities of the order are given. The role and significance of the Secret Order in ensuring state security and the further formation of political police bodies in pre-revolutionary Russia are outlined.

The article examines the legal nature of the mechanism for the recovery of property acquired as a result of the violation of anti-corruption prohibitions and requirements, taking into account the discussion that took place during the public session of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation on October 8, 2025. The author analyzes approaches to interpreting the sectoral affiliation of the said institution, which were presented by participants in the constitutional process, and also understands the defects in legal regulation that served as the basis for sending a request to the constitutional review body. The opinion is expressed according to which the reason for the emergence of the constitutional dispute was the application of legal norms to social relations of different branch nature – private and public, respectively—in conjunction with the presence of a legislative gap. It is noted that ensuring a unified sectoral focus of elements of complex legislative structures affecting several areas of social relations at once is a significant aspect of legislative work. The significance of this aspect is most clearly demonstrated in the area of convergence of interests between business and the state, as demonstrated by current judicial practice. According to the author, these circumstances determine the demand for a more in-depth study of convergence processes in law as an independent area of research in the field of jurisprudence.

The article examines the activities of Professor M.M. Fedorov. In his youth, Mikhail studied the basics of jurisprudence, and then became a defender of the Motherland in the fight against Nazi Germany. After the war, Fedorov M.M. continued his professional activities in the field of prosecutor's office, having gone from assistant prosecutor to prosecutor of the republic. A new stage in the activities of Mikhail Mikhailovich was the formation of a candidate of legal sciences, and he moved on to scientific work. Later, in order to open an independent law faculty at Yakutsk State University, he defended his doctoral dissertation in jurisprudence.

The article examines the features of digital sovereignty from an international legal perspective. It outlines concept of sovereignty in cyberspace, from viewing cyberspace as independent of traditional state boundaries to modern approaches where states increasingly extend their jurisdiction to the digital domain. Three approaches to digital sovereignty in international law are identified: cyber nihilism (denial of state control in cyberspace), jurisdictional compromise (application of national jurisdiction without asserting sovereignty over the Internet), and digital realism (full extension of state sovereignty to cyberspace). Using examples from Russia’s legislation (the “sovereign Runet” law), China’s doctrine of “cyber sovereignty”, and EU policy (data protection following the Schrems II ruling), the article illustrates the practical implementation of digital sovereignty. It analyzes the international legal framework of digital sovereignty and the practice of international organizations: confirming the principles of sovereign equality and non-interference in cyberspace in UN resolutions, the compromise model of the World Summit on the Information Society, and other initiatives. An analysis of judicial practice (the Court of Justice of the EU and the European Court of Human Rights) shows that the exercise of digital sovereignty is constrained by states’ obligations under international law, especially in the field of human rights. In conclusion, digital sovereignty is becoming an important part of international law, requiring a balance between state control, jurisdiction, and international cooperation in cyberspace.

The purpose of the study is to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the possibilities and limitations of applying artificial intelligence in the judicial system, taking into account international experience and the specifics of Russian justice. The paper examines the directions of digitalization of judicial activities, identifies legal risks and ethical challenges associated with the use of algorithmic technologies. The methodological basis of the research includes comparative legal and systemic approaches. As a result, the study identifies legal and organizational conditions for the safe integration of artificial intelligence into the Russian judicial system in accordance with the principles of judicial independence, legality, and the protection of human rights, aimed at ensuring the delivery of fair judicial decisions by judges. The conclusion emphasizes the need to establish clear limits on the permissible use of artificial intelligence in justice in order to maintain public trust in the judiciary.

The article examines key issues of legislative regulation of the legal status of regional sports federations in the Russian Federation. The author analyzes the contradictions between the Federal Law “On Physical Culture and Sports in the Russian Federation” and the Federal Law “On Public Associations,” and identifies uncertainties in matters of legal capacity and corporate status of regional sports federations. The author focuses on the differences between regional sports federations that have legal entity status and those that do not. Based on an analysis of regulatory acts and the charters of individual sports federations, the author concludes that there is a need to clarify legislation aimed at regulating the procedure for the creation, liquidation, and participation of regional sports federations in civil transactions, as well as their corporate relations with the All-Russian Sports Federation, and also proposes possible approaches to improving legislation.

The Conservative and Labour political parties of Great Britain, alternating in power, traditionally proclaim a strict adherence to international law, declare the need to improve the efficiency of its application. In July 2024, the Labour Party, led by Keir Starmer, came to power in the United Kingdom. The new Prime Minister, a lawyer with extensive practical experience in this field, has appointed his supporters, including legal scholars, to senior positions. Despite coming to power of people with significantly different political views, approaches to international law in the United Kingdom have remained fundamentally unchanged. This is primarily due to the continued commitment to the concept of a rules-based international order, which draws a profound distinction between the views on international law in Western countries and those of other states, primarily Russia. By relying on this concept as a political tool, representatives of the Labour government are taking to absurdity their views on approaches to international law in our country. Furthermore, the way British politicians understand the development of international law historically, particularly since the founding of the United Nations, raises a lot of questions. Seeking to demonstrate its imaginary leadership in forming the post-World War II world order, the UK, represented by the current Labour Party cabinet, like the previous Conservative Party government, continues to influence negatively the development of international legal consciousness.