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CONTENTS UNIT
1. AN INTRODUCTION TO LAWS UNIT
3. CHALLENGES OF THE LEGAL SYSTEM UNIT
7.CIVIL PROCEDURE AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
CIVIL PROCEDURE AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE UNIT
12. A LAW FIRM STRUCTURE AND PRACTISE UNIT
14. IMPRISONMENT: RETRIBUTION OR REHIBILITATION |
UNIT 7. CIVIL PROCEDURE AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE Part 1 AN OVERVIEW OF CIVIL PROCEEDINGS IN ENGLAND AND
WALES Unlike in other jurisdictions, there is no
single codified source of civil law. English civil law is made up of
legislation by Parliament and decisions by the courts. English courts
interpret legislation and are usually required to follow decisions on the
same issue made by a court of equivalent or higher status. Legislation and decisions of the courts are
subject to legislation adopted by the European Council and decisions of the
European Court of Justice. The court system The English civil court system is divided
between the High Court and the county courts. This guide addresses the
procedure in the High Court, which deals largely with claims in excess of
£50,000. The High Court has jurisdiction over most
matters through its District Registries and the Royal Courts of Justice in
London. It is divided into three divisions: Chancery, Queen's Bench and
Family. The Chancery Division deals with companies
generally and such specialist matters as wills, trusts, insolvency and tax.
The Queen's Bench Division (QBD) deals with all other civil matters including
contractual disputes, personal injury cases, industrial accidents, defamation
cases and negligence claims. Both the Chancery Division and the QBD have
specialist courts dealing in specific areas.
For example the QBD has two main specialist courts, the Commercial
Court dealing with commercial disputes and the Technology and Construction
Court which deals primarily with construction and technology disputes. The Court of Appeal deals with appeals from
a decision of a High Court judge. On issues of public importance there is a
further and final stage of appeal, to the Supreme Court, where the appeal is
heard usually by five Justices. Occasionally, matters may be referred to the
European Court of Justice for guidance on points of EU law. The legal profession is split between
barristers, often referred to as «counsel», and solicitors. Barristers are
specialist advocates who have the right to appear in the higher courts. They
also draft documents for court and give opinions in particular areas of law in
which they are expert. Barristers are self-employed and do not generally deal
with clients directly. Senior barristers may be appointed as Queen's Counsel;
all other barristers are known as juniors. Solicitors have day-to-day contact with
clients and have the main responsibility for handling cases. They may also
appear as advocates in the higher courts if they are qualified to do so. Most
commercial solicitors practise in partnership with
other solicitors. Although both barristers and solicitors are
eligible for appointment as High Court judges, the majority of judges are
barristers. Civil Procedure Rules The Civil Procedure Rules (CPR) were introduced in 1998 to govern the procedure that is
followed within the English civil court system. The CPR requires that all
cases are dealt with in a way that enables the court to deal with cases
justly. This includes: ·
ensuring
parties are on an equal footing; ·
dealing
with the case in ways which are proportionate to the amount of money
involved, the importance of the case, the complexity of the issues and the
financial position of each party; ·
ensuring that the
case is dealt with expeditiously and fairly. This is known as the «overriding objective»
of the CPR. A typical claim dealt with by the High Court
will take approximately 12-18 months to get to trial from the date of issue
of the claim form. Pre-action matters: before proceedings are
issued, parties are required to act reasonably in exchanging information and
documents in an attempt to settle their dispute without recourse to
litigation. Sanctions may be imposed against parties who fail to comply with these requirement, for example, a party may be ordered to
pay costs to the other party for failing to act reasonably. In addition there
are a number of «pre-action protocols» – these set out the procedure to be
followed in certain categories of dispute, such as construction or
professional negligence. Issuing proceedings and court documents:
proceedings begin when the claimant issues a claim form that must contain or
be accompanied by the particulars of claim. The claim form and particulars of
claim must set out a summary of the basic facts of the claim against the
defendant. Failing to do this may allow the defendant to strike out the
claim. The claimant will have to pay a fee to issue the claim form, the
amount of which depends on the value and nature of the claim. The documents
have to be served on the defendant in accordance with special rules and
within prescribed timeframes. When the defendant is served with court
proceedings, he has to indicate whether he accepts or intends to defend the
claim. Again, this must be done within prescribed time limits and the court
must be notified. If the defendant wishes to defend the claim he must serve a
defence, including any counterclaim, normally
within 28 days of receiving the claim form. This defence
is also an important document because if it is regarded as weak, the claimant
can seek to strike it out or seek summary judgment against the defendant. A
failure to serve a defence will allow the claimant
to win the case by default. Further court documents may be served and
filed at court in order to clarify each party's position. All court documents
will be accompanied by a statement of truth verifying the truth of the
information contained in the document – please see our separate OUT-LAW Guide
for more information. Court documents including the claim form,
particulars of claim, defence and any counterclaim
will, in certain circumstances, be accessible to third parties. Case management: all cases are actively
managed by the courts to ensure that they proceed properly. The courts will
consider whether the likely benefits of taking a particular step will justify
the cost. Although it is at the discretion of the
court, the general rule is that the unsuccessful party will be ordered to pay
the costs of the successful party. Any breach of the CPR or the overriding
objective may result in a costs sanction being imposed on the «offending»
party even if that party is successful at trial overall. Generally, in the
absence of unreasonable conduct, the successful party can expect to recover
approximately 60-65% of its legal costs from the losing party. It is also possible for parties to agree
conditional fee agreements (CFAs) with their lawyers. A CFA allows a lawyer
to charge a success fee on top of the normal fee if the case is successful,
and either a reduced fee or no fee at all if the case is unsuccessful. The
success fee may be payable by the other party. Contingency fees at present
are prohibited. There are also other
methods of funding litigation, for example, legal expense insurance and third
party funding. When a judgement
is obtained, the unsuccessful party may make payment voluntarily. If it does
not, various enforcement procedures are available including arranging for
assets to be seized and sold or obtaining a charging order
over the unsuccessful party's property. There is also the option of forcing
the party into insolvency if the judgement sum is
not paid. There are a number of strategic measures
that may help the resolution of a case, including: ·
offers to
settle – while these can be made at
any time in a dispute, the CPR gives the party making an offer to settle
specific cost advantages provided that the offer meets prescribed
requirements. For more information, please see our separate OUT-LAW Guide to
Part 36 Offers; ·
offer to
settle a dispute using ADR – a party who unreasonably refuses an offer to
settle a case in this way may incur cost penalties; ·
injunctions – in some cases it may be necessary to stop a
party from doing something immediately or to preserve assets until after the
trial. In appropriate cases, the court may grant an injunction to preserve
the parties' positions until their rights have been determined. The applicant
does not have to prove its underlying claim at the injunction hearing but
must show that it has a good arguable claim and provide an undertaking to
compensate the other party for any loss caused by the injunction being
wrongly granted; ·
security for
costs – the usual costs rule is that
the losing party will pay a substantial proportion of the winning party's
legal costs. If the defendant is confident of successfully defending its
claim but fears that the claimant will not or cannot pay any costs, it can
apply to the court early in the proceedings for an order that the claimant
provide security for any costs it may be liable to pay in certain
circumstances. EXERCISES 1. Sum up the main ides of the text and retell
it in Russian. 2. Fill in the missing words from the box into the
text below.
Case 1)_________ also
allows the court to try to encourage the parties to settle their disputes
without the need for trial, through alternative dispute resolution procedures
(ADR) such as mediation. Please see our 2)_________
OUT-LAW Guide for more information. Disclosure of documents: a party must
disclose to the other party the documents (including electronic documents,
for example, e mails) it 3)_________ to rely on, as
well as the documents which 4)_________ affect its own or another party's
case or support another party's case. This may include confidential documents
if they are relevant to the dispute. Certain 5)_________
may be exempt from disclosure on the grounds of «legal professional privilege»
– please see our separate OUT-LAW
Guide for more information. Witness 6)_________:
if a party wants to provide oral evidence at trial, then it should disclose
this evidence in written format. This can be a vital stage in the proceedings
as what is said in a witness statement may be 7)_________
whether party seeks to settle the dispute. A witness statement should set out
the facts to which the 8)_________ will testify at
the trial. It must be certified to be true by the witness. Statements are
exchanged several weeks before the trial.
Witnesses may be cross-examined by the other party's lawyer at trial;
US style 9)_________ are not normally allowed in
English proceedings. Please see our separate OUT-LAW Guide for more
information. Expert evidence: if a party needs to rely on
the opinion of an expert on a particular issue, the court's permission will
be needed. An expert witness must be independent, with an overriding 10)_________ to the court rather than the instructing party,
and the 11)_________ can order the parties to share the evidence of an expert
on a particular issue. There can be more than one expert witness per case if
there are several areas of expertise to address. An expert witness may be 12)_________ in court proceedings and may be called to give
evidence although there are strict rules about the content and format of an
expert witness's report and the evidence he may give. Please see our separate
OUT-LAW Guide for more information. Trial: with the exception of civil 13)_________ and defamation cases there is no right to trial
by jury – the trial will be determined
by the judge alone. English trials are predominantly oral,
requiring each party's counsel to make oral submissions and 14)_________ the judge's attention to the relevant evidence
and law. However, before the start of
the trial, the judge will 15)_________ have read the
court documents, witness statements, experts' reports and skeleton arguments
drafted by counsel. The judge does not make his own investigations, but he
may put questions to counsel or witnesses.
In summary, the trial 16)_________
of each party's advocate setting out their case and calling on the evidence
of the witnesses and experts that they seek to rely on. These witnesses may
be cross-examined by the opposing barrister. The trial will end with both
parties' barristers summing up the 17)_________ and
making submissions on the relevant law.
The judge will make his decision based on the evidence and arguments
put before him. Judgement may be given 18)_________
after the trial or, in more complicated cases, reserved until a later date
when the judge has reflected on the issues. If a party 19)_________
to appeal the judgement it must obtain the
permission of the court – permission will only be given in limited
circumstances. 3. Read the following article and make a rendering
of it in English. Уголовный процесс представляет собой универсальное явление, характерное
для правовой системы любого государства, каковы бы ни были ее национальные
особенности. В этом смысле он является классическим элементом системы права,
без которого даже теоретически невозможно себе представить правовое
регулирование. В то же время обязательное присутствие уголовного процесса в
той или иной правовой системе, конечно, не означает, что он везде существует
в идентичной и неизменной форме. Поэтому необходимо различать универсальность
уголовного процесса как общего понятия и его разнообразие в плане
организации, правового оформления, практики применения и т.п. при конкретном
воплощении данного понятия в отдельном государстве в соответствующую
историческую эпоху. Иными словами, уголовный процесс существует везде, но
единого стандарта уголовного процесса никогда не было, нет и быть не может,
по крайней мере на сегодняшний день. В силу этого
юридико-техническое понимание уголовного процесса всегда отражает
определенные национальные представления о нем и определенный исторический
опыт конкретного государства. Part 2 CRIMINAL PROCEDURE Criminal justice systems at the federal,
state, and local levels must follow a series of rules governing the stages of
a criminal case, beginning with police investigations and continuing all the
way through trial and appeal. Federal criminal procedure is governed by
substantive criminal laws found in Title 18 of the U.S. Code and the Federal
Rules of Criminal Procedure. Every state has its own code of criminal
statutes. Procedural rules help ensure that the government applies the law in
as consistent a manner as possible, and also help safeguard individuals’
constitutional rights. These procedures apply in all criminal matters, as
well as in some quasi-criminal proceedings, such as deportation hearings. Fourth Amendment Rights The Fourth Amendment to the U.S.
Constitution protects people from «unreasonable searches and seizures» by
police. In order to prevent violations of this right, police are required to
obtain a search warrant from a judge, after showing probable cause to believe
the search is likely to produce evidence related to a crime. A defendant who
alleges that police seized evidence in violation of his or her Fourth
Amendment rights may file a motion to suppress that evidence under the
exclusionary rule. Fifth and Sixth Amendment Rights A series of constitutional rights, commonly
known as Miranda rights, protect people during police investigations and at
trial. The right to remain silent, well-known to anyone who watches cop shows
on television, means that the police cannot force people to incriminate
themselves, and prosecutors cannot call a defendant as a witness at the
defendant’s own trial. A person has the right to an attorney of his
or her own choosing once he or she has been arrested and during any custodial
interrogation by police. In some situations, a person who cannot afford an
attorney has the right to a public defender or a court-appointed lawyer. Once
a person has invoked his or her right to silence or to an attorney, all
questioning must cease. Other rights guaranteed by the Fifth and
Sixth Amendments include the right to confront one’s accuser in court, known
as the Confrontation Clause; the right against being charged with the same
offense more than once, known as double jeopardy; the right to a trial before
an impartial jury; and the right to a speedy trial without undue delay. Eighth Amendment Rights The Eighth Amendment protects people after
an arrest, which might be in the early stages of a criminal case, and after a
conviction. It prohibits «excessive bail», which means that while a judge is not
obligated to grant bail for a person after his or her arrest, the amount of
bail may not be unreasonable or excessive. The Eighth Amendment also prohibits «excessive
fines» and «cruel and unusual punishment». Supreme Court Justice William
Brennan identified four principles to consider in determining whether a
punishment violates the Eighth Amendment: 1) whether its «severity» is «degrading to
human dignity»; 2) whether it is assessed in a «wholly
arbitrary fashion»; 3) whether society has generally rejected it
as a punishment; 4) whether it is «patently
unnecessary». Furman v. Georgia, 408 U.S. 238 (1972). That decision ruled
that capital punishment violated the Eighth Amendment, but the court reversed
that holding four years later in Gregg v. Georgia, 428 U.S. 153 (1976). After a person has been arrested, the state
must formally bring charges, either by filing a complaint or obtaining a
grand jury indictment. The court informs the defendant of the charges at the
first court appearance, known as an arraignment. Pre-trial proceedings allow
the defendant to request suppression of evidence under the exclusionary rule
and resolve other matters. The criminal trial process begins with empaneling a jury, unless the defendant chooses to have a
bench trial. The state, which has the burden of proving guilt, presents its
evidence and witnesses first. The defendant then has the opportunity to rebut
the state’s claims or prove an affirmative defense. The judge or jury
determines a verdict. If the jury cannot reach a unanimous verdict, the court
may declare a mistrial. If they defendant is found guilty, the court
determines a sentence. EXERCISES 1. Sum up the main ides of the text and retell
it in Russian. 2. Fill in the missing words from the box into the
text below.
Under the pre-trial processes in the
Criminal Procedure Act, a pre-trial hearing in front of a judge is held only
if 1)________. The Act establishes a new «case review» process, which in most
cases will be dealt with by the court registrar. Under the 2)________
law, if there was to be a judge-alone trial in the District Court (called «summary»
proceedings), there was usually a «status hearing» with the judge before the
trial to examine the defendant’s not 3)________ plea and see if the 4)________
could be resolved without a trial. Status hearings were abolished by the
Criminal Procedure Act. In more serious cases dealt with by jury trials («indictable»
proceedings), there was a «committal» 5)________
(sometimes also called «depositions») before a judge or Justices of the
Peace. In 2009 the 6)________
process was changed so that the 7)________ procedure was for no committal
hearing to be held, although the parties could ask for one to be held. In
2013 the Criminal Procedure Act extended that 8)________
to judge-alone trials in the District Court, so that pre-trial processes can
mostly be dealt with by the registrar. Under the Criminal Procedure Act, before the
«case review» date the defence and the prosecution
are 9)________ to exchange information, discuss
procedural issues and file a joint «Case Management Memorandum» with the 10)________.
If this Memorandum doesn’t raise issues that need intervention from a judge
(such as the 11)________
wanting to amend the charge), the case review date will be before a
registrar, who will adjourn the case to the trial date or, if there’s to be a
jury 12)________, to a «jury trial callover». A jury trial callover
is an essentially administrative appearance before a judge to ensure that the
case is 13)________ towards the trial on schedule.
However, the callover may lead to pre-trial
hearings before a judge to decide 14)________
issues, such as whether specific evidence can be presented at the trial. 3. Read the following article and make a rendering
of it in English. Универсальность общего понятия уголовного процесса объясняется
механизмом реакции государства на преступление, т.е. деяние, запрещенное под
страхом уголовного наказания. В правовом смысле наказание никогда не является
автоматическим следствием преступления, причем не
только потому, что некоторые преступления остаются неизвестными органам
государственной власти (латентная преступность), а другие – нераскрытыми.
Даже в том оптимальном случае, когда правоохранительным органам становится
известно о преступлении и они имеют все основания
предполагать, кто его совершил, такого рода предположения сами по себе не
имеют никакой юридической силы и не влекут уголовного наказания. Для применения последнего во всех без исключения случаях
требуется официально начать производство по уголовному делу, выяснить все его
обстоятельства, установить обвиняемого и собрать доказательства его
виновности, предоставить обвиняемому все возможности для защиты, передать
материалы уголовного дела в суд, после чего произвести судебное
разбирательство данного уголовного дела и разрешить его по существу в форме
приговора, предоставив тем, кто недоволен приговором, возможность
обжаловать его в вышестоящие судебные инстанции. Только такая деятельность,
которая протекает в строго установленных процессуальных формах и
отделяет момент обнаружения преступления от момента решения судом вопроса о
наличии или об отсутствии оснований для уголовной ответственности, дает
государству право наказывать виновных независимо оттого, какие бы тяжкие
преступления они ни совершили. Без уголовного процесса конкретные
преступления могут существовать только в латентной (скрытой) форме в качестве
социального феномена, не получившего официальной констатации со стороны
государства, а конкретные наказания вовсе являются невозможными. Любая государственная регистрация отдельного
гипотетического преступления с неизбежностью означает начало процессуальной
деятельности, независимо от того, приведет ли эта деятельность к появлению
уголовного дела, его прохождению через все стадии уголовного процесса и
разрешению судом в форме приговора или завершится решением о том, что факт
совершения преступления не нашел подтверждения, в связи с чем в возбуждении
уголовного дела необходимо отказать. Part 3 CRIMINAL PROCEDURE Many people's first introduction to the
legal system occurs during a criminal case. Each criminal case is different,
but there are some steps that are common to most, if not all, criminal cases.
In this section you will find information on what to expect at each stage of
a typical criminal case – including tips on the arrest process, plea
bargains, sentencing options, and more. The resources on this page are meant
to provide a general overview of a criminal matter – from arrest to the
appeals process. The laws in your state and/or city may deviate significantly
from those described here. If you have specific questions related to your
situation you should speak with a local criminal defense attorney. «Show Less Arrest Getting arrested can be a
frightening experience no matter who you are. When someone is arrested by the
police, a specific series of events follows. The police must follow legal
procedures during the actual arrest process, and at many other stages along
the way to actually placing a suspect in jail. Criminal Trial A typical
criminal case has several different phases. Unless a guilty plea is entered,
criminal cases are resolved by trial. A defendant has a constitutional right to a «speedy
trial». However, if a defendant demands a «speedy trial» and the prosecutor
is not prepared to proceed to trial, the charges against the defendant may be
dismissed. If not, the case will go to trial. During trial, the jury is
instructed that the defendant is presumed innocent, and that the presumption
of innocence does not change until the jury begins deliberations. Jurors are
not supposed to abandon the presumption of innocence before hearing all of
the evidence in the case. If the jury finds the defendant guilty, a defendant
may file post-trial motions, such as a motion for a new trial. These motions
are rarely granted. The defendant may also file an appeal.
Sentencing After a person is convicted of a crime, whether through a guilty
plea, plea bargain, or jury verdict, the appropriate legal punishment is
determined at the sentencing phase. A number of different kinds of punishment
may be imposed on a convicted criminal defendant including fines,
incarceration, probation and even community service. The sentencing judge
will also consider punishments and sentencing ranges identified in applicable
criminal statutes, as well as the defendant's background and personal, social
and economic circumstances. How a Criminal Defense Attorney Can Help You
It is the job of criminal defense attorneys to represent those charged with
crimes in court. Crimes can range in severity from a misdemeanor to a felony.
Punishment can range from a minor fine or community service to years in
prison or even death. Having an attorney during criminal proceedings is
critical for those charged with committing a crime. In fact, the Constitution
promises that all citizens charged with a crime will be provided
representation. Your criminal defense attorney's job is to protect your
rights and ensure your access to a fair trial. By examining the circumstances
surrounding your case and weighing the strength of the evidence against you,
your defense lawyer will apply current law, along with previous legal
precedent, to your specific situation and use it to devise a solid legal
strategy and build the best possible case for acquittal. EXERCISES 1. Sum up the main ides of the text and retell
it in Russian. 2. Fill in the missing words from the box into the
text below.
Chronology for the discrete stages of a
criminal prosecution may be identified in the 1)________
procedure systems of all jurisdictions. Traditionally, prosecutors have the
authority at each stage to choose not to move forward to the next stage.
After the initiation of «adversary judicial 2)________»,
indigent 3)________ are entitled to
the assistance of appointed counsel under the federal constitution at «critical
stages» of the prosecution. The Reporting of the Crime Police 4)________
obtain information about criminal activity from their own observations and/or
other sources, including such informants as 5)________, victims, individuals 6)________
in criminal activity, and other persons in possession of hearsay information. Pre-arrest Investigation The investigation is conducted in 7)________ to determine whether a crime was committed and
whether there is sufficient evidence that points to the guilt of a particular
person. During this 8)________, police may employ
such procedures as non-custodial questioning of suspects, witness interviews,
various warrantless searches that do not require 9)________ cause, and
identification procedures such as lineups, showups,
and photo arrays. The Arrest When a police officer 10)________
sufficient information to establish «probable cause» to believe that a
particular person committed a crime, then the officer is entitled to make a 11)________
«custodial» arrest of that 12)________. State law defines the scope of police
power to issue a citation in lieu of making a custodial arrest. A 13)________ felony arrest may be made in public without a
warrant; a warrant or exigent circumstances is required for such an arrest in
a dwelling. The Arrest and Booking Process The arresting officer is entitled to search
an arrested person and seize any weapons, 14)________,
or evidence relating to a crime. The arrestee in custody will then be taken
to jail and 15)________ to the «booking» process; he
or she may be photographed or fingerprinted, and will be required to provide
identifying information. Depending on the crime and on the 16)________ of police and prosecutors, the arrestee may be
released subsequent to booking, or may be required to 17)________ in jail
until bail is set by a magistrate and bond is posted. Post-arrest Investigation This investigation may include police use of
the same kinds of procedures employed during the pre-arrest 17)________. Police also may conduct custodial
interrogations of the arrestee in accordance with constitutional limitations.
Police are not required to 18)________ the arrestee
to consult with counsel or appointed counsel, but may not interrogate an
arrestee who invokes the 18)________ rights to silence or to counsel. 3. Read the following article and make a rendering
of it in English. В отечественной юридической традиции есть несколько устоявшихся
терминов для обозначения деятельности, отделяющей государственную регистрацию
факта гипотетического преступления от принятия по этому факту окончательного
решения о наличии (отсутствии) признаков преступления и наличии (отсутствии)
оснований для уголовного наказания. Наиболее распространенным является термин
уголовный процесс, используемый в наименовании основного закона,
регулирующего отношения в интересующей нас сфере, – Уголовно-процессуального
кодекса Российской Федерации. Слово «процесс» происходит от латинского «processus», т.е. «движение вперед», что подчеркивает
динамику уголовно-процессуальной деятельности, когда уголовное дело движется
из стадии в стадию, каждая из которых должна приближать нас к окончательному
разрешению вопросов материального уголовного права (о преступлении и о
наказании). Иначе говоря, здесь сам термин обозначает движение от
преступления к наказанию, что отличает динамичный уголовный процесс от
статичного уголовного права, поскольку к моменту начала уголовно-процессуальной
деятельности преступление уже навсегда остается в прошлом – меняться могут
лишь процессуальные знания о нем, выраженные в доказательствах и
уголовно-процессуальных решениях. Наряду с этим существует еще один термин – уголовное судопроизводство. Он встречается
не только в юридической литературе, но и в Конституции РФ (ст. 118), а также
в действующем российском законодательстве. Следует иметь в виду, что в
уголовно-процессуальном смысле «уголовный процесс» и «уголовное
судопроизводство» – абсолютные
синонимы, использование которых одинаково допустимо для обозначения всей
совокупности уголовно-процессуальной деятельности. Никого не должна вводить в
заблуждение внешняя этимология слова «судопроизводство», отсылающая якобы
только к судебным стадиям уголовного процесса. На самом деле, как указано в
п. 56 ст. 5 УПК РФ, понятие «уголовное судопроизводство» охватывает не только
судебное, но и досудебное производство по уголовному делу, т.е. весь
уголовный процесс в целом. Этому есть как историческое, так и теоретическое
объяснение. С исторической точки зрения, первые российские
автономные уголовно-процессуальные законодательные акты, кодифицировавшие
весь отечественный уголовный процесс (включая его досудебные стадии) в ходе
Судебной реформы Александра II, именовались Основные положения уголовного
судопроизводства 1862 г. и Устав уголовного судопроизводства 1864 г. В
результате понятие «уголовное судопроизводство» стало повсеместно
использоваться в российском правоведении даже раньше понятия «уголовный
процесс», будучи в значительной мере вытеснено последним только в XX в. С тех пор взаимозаменяемость
этих терминов стала отечественной доктринальной традицией, сохранившейся до
наших дней и нашедшей отражение в УПК РФ. С теоретической точки зрения,
понятие «уголовное судопроизводство» совершенно безупречно потому, что
подчеркивает так называемую идею полноты судебной власти: любая несудебная
профессиональная деятельность в уголовном процессе (полицейская,
прокурорская, адвокатская, экспертная) существует для суда, находится под его
непосредственным или опосредованным контролем и в конечном итоге служит
интересам правосудия. Поэтому даже в тех случаях, когда уголовный процесс не
является судебным в формальном смысле, он остается таковым по существу, т.е.
всегда совпадает по объему с судопроизводством. В то же время конституционно-правовой смысл понятия «уголовное
судопроизводство» не всегда совпадает с уголовно-процессуальным.
Так, например, ч. 2 ст. 123 Конституции РФ, где
говорится о том, что «судопроизводство осуществляется на основе
состязательности и равноправия сторон», имеет общеправовой характер и в
одинаковой мере распространяется на конституционное, гражданское,
административное судопроизводство. Поэтому уголовного судопроизводства она
касается только в части его судебных стадий. Иное толкование с учетом
специфики уголовного судопроизводства вряд ли возможно, поскольку в стадии
возбуждения уголовного дела или предварительного расследования (особенно на
начальных этапах) уголовно-процессуальная деятельность нередко ведется в
отсутствие подозреваемого или обвиняемого с целью их установления, что
исключает возможность даже постановки вопроса о «сторонах», их «равенстве»
или «состязательности». В этом смысле следует иметь в виду, что ч. 1 ст. 15 УПК РФ воспроизводит конституционно-правовое
понимание «уголовного судопроизводства», не в полной мере совпадающее с
историческим уголовно-процессуальным толкованием данного понятия. |