INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC AND PRACTICAL CONFERENCE "PROCEDURAL AND CRIMINAL ASPECTS OF PRE-COURT INVESTIGATION" IN MEMORY OF PROFESSOR V.D. BERNAZ

On April 14, 2016, the Odessa State University of Internal Affairs, with the assistance of the All-Ukrainian Association of Scientists and Specialists in the Field of Operational and Investigative Activities, hosted the International Scientific and Practical Conference “Procedural and Forensic Aspects of Pre-Trial Investigation”, dedicated to the memory of the outstanding scientist – Doctor of Law, Professor, Honored Worker of Science and Technology of Ukraine, Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Legal Sciences of Ukraine Vasyl Dmytrovych Bernaz.

Leading Ukrainian and foreign scientists took part in the conference, including representatives of the All-Ukrainian Association of Scientists and Specialists in the Field of Operational and Investigative Activities, as well as students, postgraduates, adjuncts and doctoral candidates.

The event was opened by the Deputy Chairman of the Association, Candidate of Law, Associate Professor, Police Colonel Serhiy Albul, who offered the attention of those present a presentation dedicated to the life path of Doctor of Law, Professor, Honored Worker of Science and Technology of Ukraine, Corresponding Member of the Academy of Legal Sciences of Ukraine Vasyl Dmytrovych Bernaz, after which the conference participants honored the bright memory of the outstanding Ukrainian scientist with a minute of silence.

Further, Serhiy Albul emphasized the importance of this conference, which is due to the need for scientific support for the fight against crime and the establishment of an effective mechanism for combating offenses, developing recommendations aimed at improving the activities of law enforcement agencies.

“The combination of theory and practice in the fight against crime is becoming quite important in the context of the transformation of criminal elements, the existence of widespread organized crime, its acquisition of a transnational nature, the presence of a high degree of corruption, and active counteraction by interested parties. Crime is increasingly adapting to new conditions, using modern methods of committing crimes, high-tech approaches, and the latest achievements of technical scientific thought. Therefore, the expediency of holding this conference is beyond doubt,” Serhiy Albul noted.

Then the floor was given to the chairman of the Association, Doctor of Law, Professor Oleksandr Korystin, who shared his thoughts on the practical need to improve the criminal process.

In turn, the next speaker, Head of the Department of Criminology of the National University "Odesa Law Academy", Doctor of Law, Professor, Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Legal Sciences of Ukraine Valeriy Tyshchenko, spoke about the technology of identifying and proving the guilt of a suspect in a pre-trial investigation.

This day, reports were also made by Associate Professor of the Department of Criminology, Forensic Medicine and Psychiatry of the KhNUVS, Candidate of Law, Associate Professor Tetyana Pazynych, Professor of the Department of Criminology, Forensic Medicine and Psychiatry of the ODUVS, Doctor of Law, Professor Olena Tsilmak, Strategic Advisor on Combating Corruption of the EU Advisory Mission to Ukraine Clemens Muller, and other scholars.

The conference participants discussed important issues of criminal process and criminology: current problems of improving the criminal process, current problems of criminology at the present stage, the formation of general and individual theories of criminology and criminal process, the possibilities of applying scientific and technical means and information technologies in investigative activities, the use of special knowledge in the investigation of crimes, and the improvement of tactical and methodological recommendations for law enforcement activities.

The attendees were presented with scientific reports on such topics as: “The relevance of reforming criminal procedural legislation and the features of its practical implementation”, “Regarding problematic issues of interaction between pre-trial investigation bodies and operational units”, “On further integration of operational and investigative activities into the criminal justice system”, “Certain issues of compliance with the requirements of the Code of Criminal Procedure of Ukraine when applying temporary access to things and documents”, etc.

Based on the materials of the International Scientific and Practical Conference, a collection of abstracts “Procedural and Forensic Aspects of Pre-Trial Investigation” was published, which highlights the results of scientific research by the participants of this event.