WORK WITH FORENSIC VERSIONS AS A METHOD OF LEGAL KNOWLEDGE
Authors: KALIUGA Karina 
Published: April 2023

Researching the aspects of the forensic version as a method of legal knowledge is an urgent issue of improving the typical method of working with forensic versions regarding the identity of the criminal, the circumstances of the crime and the planning of investigative actions. Also, the methodological function and applied role of the version in highlighting and justifying the need for a logical-methodological approach to the investigation of the identity of the criminal and the circumstances of the crime need a deeper analysis. One of the promising areas of improvement and optimization of the process of disclosure, investigation and prevention of certain types of crimes is research and further development of the concept of standard versions. Thanks to their formation and application in criminal procedural knowledge, the solution of tasks related to the search for evidence in typical investigative situations becomes more active, the possibility arises in the construction of logical action programs for persons who carry out the investigation process. It is thanks to the construction of various investigative versions and their subsequent verification that factual data is established. The origins of the concept of version, the modern meaning of this term, types and classifications of versions, functions of versions, its importance for establishing the circumstances of the proceedings, etc. have been studied. The conclusions emphasize that the methodological core of the research of the forensic version should be through the analysis of its epistemological, logical and psychological aspects in unity. It is indicated that the further development of the theoretical foundations of the forensic version should be based on the sequential treatment of two interdependent problems, the discussion of which cannot be considered completed yet. The first of them includes issues of the epistemological status (cognitive nature) of the version and its relationship with the hypothesis. The second problem is related to determining the place of the doctrine of versions in the structure of the science of criminology and its functional role in the investigation of crimes. The current state and trends in the development of the science of criminology requires a separate study of the version as an independent element of its general theory. It is clear that the version is closely related to the planning of the investigation, precedes it and serves as its basis. But this does not mean that the version is an element of planning. A frankly weak link in the practice of proposing and verifying versions is the use of probabilistic mathematical methods, which would allow us to get qualitatively new opportunities for faster and more effective solving of complex mental tasks that arise during the detection and investigation of crimes. In the opinion of the author, the further study of the doctrine of the forensic version should have a complex interdisciplinary nature and be built on the interfaces and taking into account the data of various sciences – natural, technical and social – and, above all, philosophy, logic, psychology, informatics and criminologists.