Applying Neuroscience Advances to Address Criminal Justice and Criminology

Social attention to the role of the human brain in our daily behavior is growing rapidly. Thus, interest in the role of neurofactors is also growing within the behavioral sciences. Thus, it is necessary to look for the possible contribution of neuroscience research findings to the problems of criminology.

The purpose of this article is to answer the question: what are the implications of modern neuroscience for solving criminal and some criminological problems? The chosen purpose of the study is relevant given the current need to identify the intersection between neuroscience and criminal justice.

In view of the chosen purpose of the research, the following tasks are formulated: 1) to establish the current state of development of neuroscience and its individual components; 2) to investigate the best world practice of application of methods of neuroimaging in criminal process; 3) outline the prospects for the use of neuroscientific research within criminological forecasting; 4) analyze the theoretical foundations of changes in public opinion regarding new perspectives on decision-making in criminal justice and criminology.

The current state of development of neuroscience offers a wide range of possibilities and intersections of law and neuroimaging, neuropsychology, neurobiology, as well as the ability of artificial neural networks to predict crime. As a result, there is a need to develop the integration of both spheres - law and neuroscience.

Ukraine's criminal procedural law regarding the use of evidence in criminal proceedings generally provides for the possibility of involving neuroscience. However, there remain a large number of methodological and ethical problems that require a thorough national scientific base, effective reform of the judicial system and improvement of professional training of judges, lawyers, prosecutors, taking into account the world-leading experience in the field of neuroscience.