The normative model of the competence of an investigating judge in criminal proceedings is subject to constant changes expanding the subject matter of the competence granted to this subject of criminal process. In this regard, it would be expedient to study the theoretical foundations determining the competence of the subject of power, and to establish whether the current legislative model of the subject matter of the investigating judge’s competence is consistent with the purpose and essence of his procedural function, which is defined by the Code of Criminal Procedure of Ukraine (hereinafter – the CCP of Ukraine) as judicial control over the observance of rights, freedoms and interests of participants to criminal proceedings. The purpose of the article is to establish objective criteria which should determine

the subject matter of the investigating judge’s competence in criminal proceedings and his procedural powers which, if appropriately implemented, ensure that his criminal procedural functions are fulfilled and the tasks of criminal proceedings are resolved. The legislator should take such criteria into account for further improvement of the normative model of judicial control, for determination of the criminal procedural competence of the investigating judge as the subject ensuring the implementation of the adversarial principle during pre-trial investigation and the observance of the rights and freedoms of participants to criminal proceedings in case procedural actions limiting the same are made, and also ensuring the resolution of legal conflicts arising between the participants to criminal proceedings during pre-trial investigation of criminal offenses. To achieve this goal, the author completed research tasks aimed at clarifying the essence of the category “competence”, its structural components and their correlation; and also aimed at identifying the trends in the development of Ukrainian criminal procedure legislation in the segment governing the investigating judge’s competence during pre-trial investigation of criminal offenses, and assessing them in terms of compliance with the essence of the investigating judge’s procedural function. The analysis of the current criminal procedure legislation of Ukraine gives the grounds to acknowledge the trend towards constant expansion of the subject matter of the investigating judge’s competence; the author arrives at the conclusion that the boundaries of judicial control should be expanded with due regard for clear criteria allowing to outline them in the most optimal way. These should include the purpose of procedural activity and the legal nature of the criminal procedural function granted to the investigating judge. The author notes that if the subject matter of the investigating judge’s competence s expanded without proper justification as it happens now following the recent adoption of new changes to the Ukrainian CCP in terms of the newly introduced procedure according to which an expert should be engaged to conduct an examination only based on the ruling of an investigating judge, as well as in terms of prolongation by an investigating judge of the pre-trial investigation period, this results in an unjustified complication of pre-trial investigation and entails a breach of the main principles of reasonable time limits, an unreasonably increased load on investigating judges, as well as a breach of the balance of the procedural capacity of parties to criminal proceedings in the context of implementation of their tasks.

List of legal documents

Legislation

1. Kryminalnyi protsesualnyi kodeks Ukrainy [Code of Criminal Procedure of Ukraine]: Zakon Ukrainy [the Law of Ukraine] vid 13 kvitnia 2012 r. № 4651-VI. URL: http://zakon5.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/4651-17 (accessed: 01.03.2018) (in Ukrainian).

2. Pro vnesennia zmin do deiakykh zakonodavchykh aktiv shchodo zabezpechennia dotrymannia prav uchasnykiv kryminalnoho provadzhennia ta inshykh osib pravookhoronnymy orhanamy pid chas dosudovoho rozsliduvannia [On Amendments to Some Pieces of Legislation With Regard to Ensuring Observance of the Rights of Participants to Criminal Proceedings and Other Persons by Law Enforcement Agencies During Pre-Trial Investigation]: Zakon Ukrainy [the Law of Ukraine] vid 16 lystopada 2017 r. № 2213-VIII. URL: http://zakon3.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/2213-19 (accessed: 01.03.2018) (in Ukrainian).

3. Pro vnesennia zmin do Hospodarskoho protsesualnoho kodeksu Ukrainy, Tsyvilnoho protsesualnoho kodeksu Ukrainy, Kodeksu administratyvnoho sudochynstva Ukrainy ta inshykh zakonodavchykh aktiv [On Amendments to the Economic Procedure Code of Ukraine, the Civil Procedure Code of Ukraine, the Code of Administrative Judicial Procedure of Ukraine and other Acts of Legislation]: Zakon Ukrainy [the Law of Ukraine] vid 3 zhovtnia 2017 r. № 2147-VIII. URL: http://zakon2.rada.gov.ua/laws/ show/2147а-19 (accessed: 01.03.2018) (in Ukrainian).

Bibliography

Authored books

4. Hloviuk Iryna, Kryminalno-protsesualni funktsii: teoriia, metodolohiia ta praktyka realizatsii na osnovi polozhen Kryminalnoho protsesualnoho kodeksu Ukrainy 2012 r.:

monohrafiia [Criminal Procedural Functions: Theory, Methodology and Implementation Practice Based on the Provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure of Ukraine 2012: Monograph] (Iurydychna literatura 2015) (in Ukrainian).

5. Loboiko Leonid, Kryminalno-protsesualna kompetentsiia: monohrafiia [Criminal Procedural Competence: Monograph] (Dnipropetrovskyi derzhavnyi universytet vnutrishnikh sprav 2006) (in Ukrainian).

6. Tihomirov Jurij, Teorija kompetencii: monohrafiia [Theory of Competence: Monograph] (2001) (in Russian).

Edited books

7. Kaplina O ta inshi, Kryminalnyi protses: pidruchnyk [Criminal Procedure: Textbook] (Kaplina O, Shylo O red, Pravo 2018) 105-8 (in Ukrainian).

Journal articles

8. Popeliushko V, ‘Slidchyi suddia u kryminalnomu provadzhenni’ [‘Investigating Judge in Criminal Proceedings’] (2014) 9 Chasopys Natsionalnoho universytetu “Ostrozka akademiia” Pravo 1 (in Ukrainian).

9. Tatarov O, ‘Slidchyi suddia yak sub’iekt zakhystu prav liudyny: deiaki problemy pravozastosuvannia ta shliakhy yikh vyrishennia’ [‘Investigating Judge as a Subject of Human Rights Protection: Some Law Administration Issues and Ways to Resolve Them’] (2015) 2 Visnyk Kharkivskoho natsionalnoho universytetu vnutrishnikh sprav 12 (in Ukrainian).

10. Tumaniants A, ‘Instytut slidchoho suddi za novym Kryminalnym protsesualnym kodeksom Ukrainy’ [‘Institute of Investigating Judge under the New Code of Criminal Procedure of Ukraine’] (2013) 1 Universytetski naukovi zapysky 293 (in Ukrainian).

Thesis abstracts

11. Skrypina Yuliia, ‘Slidchyi suddia v systemi kryminalno-protsesualnoi diialnosti (porivnialno-pravove doslidzhennia)’ [‘Investigating Judge in the Criminal Process System (Comparative Legal Research)’] (avtoref dys kand yuryd nauk, Natsionalna yurydychna akademiia Ukrainy imeni Yaroslava Mudroho 2008) (in Ukrainian).

Dissertations

12. Bondiuk Andrii, ‘Protsesualni osnovy statusu slidchoho suddi u kryminalnomu provadzhenni’ [‘Procedural Foundations of the Investigating Judge Status in Criminal Proceedings’] (dys kand yuryd nauk, Natsionalna akademiia vnutrishnikh sprav 2017) (in Ukrainian).