Organisation of specialist`s involvement in investigative actions (search activities)

Abstract

The current social and economic situation in Ukraine provokes certain negative changes, forcing Ukrainian criminal justice officers to increase their efforts to combat crime. In order to plan a separate investigative action (search activity) effectively, an investigator must determine if it is appropriate for him/her to make use of specific expertise of competent persons. Thus, academic works of a number of scientists like V.Ye. Konovalova, A.M. Lazebny, I.V. Pirog etc. touched upon certain challenges of specialist`s involvement in investigation of criminal offenses. However, we have yet to see a comprehensive review of these issues. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to reveal the actual challenges in organisation of a specialist`s involvement in investigative actions (search activities).

Involvement of a competent person in investigative actions (search activities) creates the necessity for an investigator to make a specialist or a body of specialists move like clockwork and to take care of a list of practical arrangements. It is also crucial for the case to determine a type of specific expertise needed as well as a purpose of a specialist`s involvement. An investigator must find out, from which institution a specialist is involved, determine the form of a specialist`s involvement, and give a specialist an overview of some case materials from criminal proceedings. An investigator needs to solve transportation issues to ensure a specialist`s arrival at the crime scene, by consulting his/her schedule. In some cases, it is expedient for an investigator to involve a group or a body of specialists.