The paper is devoted to the consideration of conceptual approaches to the formation and application of certain criminalistics theories (teachings). The relevance of this issue is that it refers to the field of research aimed at forming a general theory of criminalistics, which reflects the current level of development of this field of legal knowledge and is one of the most important areas of criminalistics doctrine. It is noted that certain criminalistics theories (teachings), as scientific constructions, form the basis of the structure of the general theory of criminalistics and determine the level of development of the theoretical and methodological basis of this science. The system of individual criminalistics teachings (theories) as a whole is the content of the general theory of criminalistics.

It is proposed to define a separate criminalistics theory (teaching) as a system of scientific knowledge that describes and explains a certain set of phenomena and studies only a certain range of patterns of objective reality from among those studied by criminalistics in general. It is emphasized that the nature of the patterns studied by each of the individual criminalistic theories (teaching), determine the order of their setting in the structure of the general theory of criminalistics. Thus between subject matters of the general theory of criminalistics and separate criminalistics teachings there are relations of subordination of the whole and a part.

Each separate criminalistic theory (teaching) must have its own object, subject matter and methods of research, reveal the content and nature of relations with other teachings (theories), determine the purpose, objectives, functions and place in the criminalistics system, be formed on a certain scientific hypothesis, have the necessary empirical basis, as well as the appropriate degree of consolidation, which determines the possibility of highlighting certain patterns that complement, clarify the subject matter of in general. Only if these requirements are met, certain theoretical constructions are able to acquire the status of a separate criminalistics theory (teaching).

It is concluded that in the structure of the general theory of criminalistics it is expedient to distinguish three levels of separate theories (teachings): criminalistic theories (teachings) of scientific direction which cover issues on object, subject matter, field of research, system, nature, concept apparatus and categories of criminalistics (language of criminalistics), its interdisciplinary connections and place in the system of scientific knowledge, history of development and current state; 2) criminalistic theories (teachings) of the general scientific level, which cover the patterns that apply to the entire subject matter of research, are included in it as a whole; 3) criminalistics theories (teachings) of the individual scientific level, which relate to the study of patterns belonging to certain components of the subject matter of criminalistics, reveal its essence and specificity.

It is emphasized that the modern system of individual criminalistics theories (teachings) is dynamic and its improvement is determined by the needs of judicial and investigative practice, the development of related fields of knowledge, general theory and individual criminalistics teachings, changing connections and dependencies between them.