Classification of Forensic Techniques of Crime Investigation, Its Theoretical and Practical Value

The article focuses on the role of classification in science and in practice, its specificity in forensic science and crime investigation is shown. The specificity is caused by the variety of the studied phenomena, processes, objects, the features of establishing data which are initial in decision-making. The specific object of the research is classification of forensic techniques which are part of science and practical investigation of crimes. By means of a comparative and legal method, scholars' approaches to recommendations on crime investigation were analysed. The aim of the research included search for the bases of classification and a respective identification of types of techniques. As a result, the number of crimes covered by recommendations indicated the concept and general and specific techniques. By crime complexity, techniques are simple and complex; by nature and number of tasks solved, specific and universal; by action in space, transnational and national. To describe the content of each type of forensic techniques, the features of structure and value in practical investigation of crimes are shown. According to the author, practical recommendations included in the concept are set for investigation of similar crimes. The concept's theoretical provisions and results of solved tasks serve as a basic in the elaboration of general and specific techniques and also of recommendations for investigating crime committed or investigated in a specific way. It is noted that the general technique with its recommendations, aims to investigate crimes committed or investigated in a similar way. The technique (as well as the concept) should reflect all the stages of crime investigation (preliminary, initial, subsequent, final). It is emphasised that the concept and the general technique as forensic methodological recommendations are, to some extent, basic for the formation of techniques of the lowest level. Requirements to a specific technique are: practical importance, concreteness, focus, systematicity. Methodologically, the basis of its formation are: (a) type of crime; (b) regularity of commission of crimes; (c) regularities of investigation; (d) principles of elaboration of techniques. Simple and complex techniques as corresponding types are used in a single crime or two similar (by type, subject and object) crimes qualified by one or several articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Specific and universal forensic techniques of investigation differ in the character and quantity of tasks solved. When the technique is use not only in investigation, but also in law enforcement or judicial activities, it can be considered universal.

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