The Current State of Criminology in Ukraine and European Countries: Comparative Characteristics

This article analyzes continental law countries and compares modern criminalistics of Ukraine with European countries. Also, primary attention is paid to the characteristics of domestic scientific studies due to the scientific heritage of Hans Gross, as an outstanding forensic scientist and forensic investigator. Comparison of Ukrainian forensics with the practice of foreign countries, in particular, taking into account the process of European integration of Ukraine, is a key element of scientific research. The comparative legal method consists in comparing different state right-wing systems, institutions, and categories in order to identify features of similarity or difference between them. In this context, such comparative analyzes become an important tool for determining the degree of compliance of the practices and regulatory legal basis of Ukrainian criminology with European standards. Hans Gross made a significant contribution to the spread of criminology knowledge in Ukraine, the formation of a theoretical and methodological model of criminology, the determination of its place in the system of other sciences, and the justification of the need for teaching as a university discipline at law faculties. However, in view of the above, modern criminology in Ukraine has encountered many problems of a practical and theoretical nature. In recent studies, the actual prerequisites for solving these problems are revealed in different ways. Since the modern evolution of the criminal justice system in Ukraine is based on the rejection of the Soviet model, the primary task is a critical assessment of the foundations of forensic science and consideration of the feasibility of their further application. Today, law enforcement and court bodies are being reformed in Ukraine, the legislation is changing significantly, and electronic resources are actively being introduced into practical activities. Criminalistics is affected by changes occurring in the legal field, a certain revision of traditional institutions of criminal law and process. The problem becomes especially urgent due to the need to harmonize the domestic criminal procedural mechanism with European standards, to ensure a proper balance of public and private interests, therefore proposals were made on the need for forensic support for the activities of prosecutors, judges and lawyers.

Keywords: criminology, foreign experience, European integration, criminology didactics, history of criminology.