TEACHING INNOVATIONS IN CONTEMPORARY RUSSIAN NATIONAL CRIMINAL POLICY IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Abstract

Currently, many amendments and additions are being made to Russian criminal legislation. A formalized official document on the content of the concept for the development of criminal policy in the Russian Federation is absent. Existing publications on the concepts for the development of Russian criminal policy reflect only the purely personal opinions of scholars. They reflect the subjective perspectives of their authors. In searching for a relevant definition of the concept of criminal policy, the author proposes focusing on its actors. This includes the state, which traditionally influences its formation. It is proposed to supplement the list of these actors with international organizations. Disputes about state sovereignty in this regard can generate controversy. The author attempts to analyze the problems and characteristics inherent in the teaching of criminal policy. This was done both in a narrow sense—with regard to the exclusive teaching of the provisions of contemporary Russian national criminal law—and in a broad sense—with an exploration of the broad interdisciplinary field of social relations. This covered areas of constitutional national law, criminal procedure, international public law, and others. The desire to impart a comprehensive knowledge of criminal policy to students today requires attention to current sources of such information. The author attempted to identify not only the formal source of Russian national criminal law (the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). The current Constitution of the Russian Federation was analyzed for the possibility of including it in such a list of legal sources. The author's raising of the question of the admissibility of including the Statutes (Constitutions) of the constituent entities of Russia among such sources of criminal law is also innovative. Consideration of the historical development of Russian criminal policy can raise many interesting points.