Some theoretical aspects of the concept of the law enforcement function of the state as a component of legal activity and its relationship with justice
Authors: Kunenko I. S. 
Published: February 2025

The article examines the essence of the law enforcement function of the state as a component of legal activity and public administration, emphasizes the importance of its integration with other functions such as legislative and administrative, to ensure an integrated approach to public administration.
It has been determined that the law enforcement function of the state is a key element of public power, since it provides a balance between the interests of society, the state and the individual. It is noted that the effective implementation of the law enforcement function is a prerequisite for achieving law and order, social harmony and harmonization of social relations.
The author analyzes the scientific approaches to the definition of law enforcement function and determines that in legal science there is ambiguity in the interpretation of the concept of law enforcement function of the state, the problem of its correlation with such a state and legal phenomenon as justice has not been resolved, and the criteria for determining the boundaries of justice and law enforcement in the context of modern development of the legal system remain insufficiently researched.
The article notes that by examining the concepts of law enforcement and justice, which are presented in the literature, it is possible to point out their essential connection.
Thus, the law enforcement function of the state is considered as a purposeful activity of the state apparatus, the content of which is the implementation of state measures to establish, ensure and protect law and order, as well as the power resolution of contradictions between legitimate and illegal interests, which acts as a denial of offenses and the establishment of law and order. And justice from the standpoint of a broad approach is defined as the activities of the state within the established limits aimed at preventing, detecting and eliminating violations of law, or a system of bodies and institutions of the state whose main task is to implement the state legal policy aimed at maintaining the rule of law, protecting human and civil rights and freedoms, and ensuring the functioning of the justice system.
In view of this, the author concludes that the concept of justice largely overlaps with the concept of law enforcement function and is associated with the activities of those bodies which are traditionally referred to as law enforcement agencies.
The author goes on to note that the law enforcement function of the state is exercised by specially authorized bodies of the state apparatus through normatively regulated law enforcement activities aimed at protecting human rights and freedoms, safeguarding the rights and legitimate interests of the state and non-governmental organizations, and combating crimes and other offenses.
At the same time, justice encompasses not only the activities of law enforcement agencies, but also includes mechanisms for enforcing court decisions, investigating offenses, establishing legal facts, and other aspects of public administration that contribute to the maintenance of the rule of law. That is, justice is the area of direct implementation of the law enforcement function of the state. At the same time, it is noted that the limits of justice should be determined by the limits of the law enforcement function.
To summarize, the author supports the view that the law enforcement function of the state should be viewed as a purposeful activity of the state apparatus aimed at introducing, maintaining and protecting law and order, as well as at resolving contradictions between legitimate and illegitimate interests by the authorities. While the author proposes to define justice as a special sphere (branch) of public administration, in which, on the basis of the principle of legality, the law enforcement function of the state is realized in the aggregate activities of public authorities and their specialized institutions.